Moon Shines Red
by Cinnamon Silver Tiger
Summary: Set in sixth year Draco is given his task by the Dark Lord but will many chance encounters with the Gryffindor Princess stop him from completing his mission? What happens when Blaise plays a role in opening his eyes to just how incredible Hermione can be? Pairings: Hermione/Draco, implied Hermione/Blaise, Harry/Ginny
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:** So after I wrote Count the Saints and it only got one review I was super bummed out. However I started taking notes after watching The Half Blood Prince again and came up with some ideas for a prequel of sorts. More like the events leading up to Count the Saints and the reactions afterwards. Hope you all like it. Please review if you do. I'm always up for answering questions if you have any but it's definitely the reviews that keep a writer writing. If anyone who reads is a Beta and would like to help a sister out that would be wonderful.

* * *

It was a long train ride back to Hogwarts to start their sixth year. Everyone was on edge with the recent events that had happened at the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort was back and now the whole Wizarding world knew. Harry was no longer looked at with concerns of being crazy and no one doubted Dumbledore anymore. The minister himself had seen and with the exclamation of "He's back!" had sent everyone into an uproar.

Hermione was currently listening to Harry claim Malfoy's Death Eater involvement for the umpteenth time. Not that she liked Draco or anything but to even think of a student in their year being involved in the Dark Lord's plans…it wasn't a pleasant thought that was for sure, and until there was any logical proof other than them seeing him with his Mother in Borgin and Burke's she was choosing not to believe it. However Harry couldn't let the idea go and she was tired of hearing the same accusations over and over again.

She politely excused herself from the boys' compartment and left in hopes of finding Neville and Seamus or Luna or even Ginny and Dean. Finding someone she knew to talk about classes with and what was to come of the new year at school was much better than listening to speculation on Death Eater activity.

Walking up the aisle of the train while searching the compartments for her friends Hermione wasn't really paying attention to what or who was in front of her. Mumbled excuse me's and sorry's sufficed to those she walked into or in front of until finally she hit something solid that didn't get out of her way. She stumbled back and looked up into the eyes of Blaise Zabini, Slytherin and one of Malfoy's best friends.

"Excuse me." She strongly said as she moved to go around the tall dark Italian. But he moved to block her path. She crossed her arms and huffed looking up at him earning a chuckle as he mimicked her movements and leaned against the wall smirking at her.

"Well well what do we have here?" He asked, it was just them in the aisle, everyone else had seemed to find compartments to go into and she realized that no one was there to see the confrontation she feared was about to happen. "What is the Gryffindor Princess doing without her Prince's? And headed into the Slytherin part of the train no doubt? I think you've lost your way Granger…no good waits for you in our car." Blaise smoothly said. Another chuckle found its way to her ears as realization spread across her face that she was indeed headed towards the Slytherin train car, certainly not the direction she was going to find any of her friends. She uncrossed her arms and glanced behind her then back up at Blaise.

"I think I'm perfectly capable of walking around the train _without_ Harry and Ron. Unlike you" she nodded behind him where Crabbe and Goyle had just appeared leaning against the doorframe to the car and were watching them intensely, "your Slytherin watchdogs look lost without their leader." She raised her chin defiantly towards him with a smirk that could have rivaled Draco's.

Blaise smirked back at her. Such prejudice everyone held against him for being Draco's friend and a Slytherin. Not many knew his family didn't take sides in the first Wizarding War and had no intentions of being part of the second. His mother hadn't wanted him to return to Hogwarts and instead go with her back to Italy. But he had wanted to finish what he could of school so she had agreed to stay in London so that they were close. He'd been friends with Draco since they were babies. He knew how bad Draco's father was and that Draco was slowly starting to follow in his father's footsteps. But Narcissa, Draco's mother, wasn't so bad and she rubbed off on him somewhat. He knew underneath all the prejudice and pureblood elitist views there was a good man in Draco. Whether or not anyone would ever see him was another story, but for now he wanted to stay with his friends so going to Italy was not an option. He knew people roped him in with the rest of the Slytherins thinking they were _all_ sons and daughters of Death Eaters but he was never one to really care what people thought about him.

He looked over the Gryffindor Princess. Her bushy hair had tamed itself considerable over the years now falling in cascading waves down her back. Her teeth had been fixed no longer too large for her delicate face. Her honey brown eyes gleamed with mischief and defiance. She had grown quite beautiful over the years not that he would ever admit it to anyone other than himself. He had never felt negatively towards her during their time at school. She was the brightest witch of their year and for being a Muggleborn that was incredible. He didn't believe in the Pureblood ways that Muggleborns were beneath them. Of course he could never indulge that information to any of his friends. Everyone who was in their circle had families that supported Voldemort except for himself and Pansy Parkinson. Like his, her family chose to stay neutral in the wars, but she was so infatuated with Draco that it wouldn't surprise him if she chose to follow the Dark Lord if only to gain affection from him.

"If they're lost without their leader they should be looking for Draco not me Granger." He said. He uncrossed his arms and opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a voice who both he and Hermione recognized to be none other than Malfoy himself.

"Who should be looking for me? I've been looking for you what in Merlin's beard are you doing out here?" Draco asked coming up behind Blaise. His eyes rested on Hermione and he smirked at the same time she scowled at him. "Why are you wasting your time on her?" He spat. He looked her over once and grimaced before turning back towards the Slytherin car. "Now Blaise." He commanded before walking away.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She had been expecting much worse than that. He hadn't even called her a mudblood. She noted he didn't look well, sickly almost. Paler than usual if that was possible. He looked like he had lost weight and his eyes were hollow. Blaise turned to follow him but she was still focused on Malfoy walking away from them. "Run along Princess." He called back at her. It seemed to shake her out of her thoughts and she turned and headed back the other way resuming her search for her friends.

* * *

Back in the Slytherin car Blaise sat next to Pansy and across from Draco. He expected Draco to start in about why he had been talking to the _Mudblood_ but to his surprise, though he didn't show it, Draco just looked out the window and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Draco knew what had happened in the Department of Mysteries due to his Aunt. His mother had wanted to see it for herself so Bellatrix had used a pensieve to show her and in the aftermath of his mother being upset and Bellatrix dealing with her he had watched the memory as well. It had been disturbing to see his father in that state. He knew what kind of person his father was but had never witnessed Lucius acting out towards others, only himself. It disturbed him slightly to see the fight between the grown adults and the kids he saw every day at school. Stupid Gryffindors thinking they could get away with everything. He thought back to the memory of seeing them all bruised and bleeding. It was a memory that would always stay with him. He felt naïve, he had been brought up to believe that Purebloods were the best of the wizarding world and that Half bloods and Muggles were beneath them in every way possible. He had been told that Muggle borns had dirty blood and were never to be considered their equals.

He thought back to when Harry Potter had acquired his two sidekicks Weasley and Granger. Weasley even though a Pureblood was considered a blood traitor and Granger, well she was worse being Muggleborn. She was the epitome of everything he had been brought up to hate, yet he learned something important the day he watched his Aunt's memory. Her blood was red and looked just like his. It wasn't dirty. He felt so stupid for believing that it was _actually_ dirty. It didn't change the way he felt about her, she was still the know it all, meddling, infuriating best friend of Harry Potter. But he couldn't help but feel a little less hate towards her…even if it was minimal. He snapped his head towards Blaise.

"Why were you talking to Granger?" He asked him sharply.

Pansy looked from Draco to Blaise in surprise. "You were talking to the Mudblood? That's what was taking you so long?" She asked him. Neither noticed Draco slightly flinch under hearing the word.

"She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and was about to walk into a pit filled with snakes. I thought I'd be gentleman and send her back the way she came. I'm not cruel enough to just let her walk in here."

Pansy scoffed. "You sound like a Gryffindor." She said disgustingly. "Who cares if she had come in here? It would have been fun to tease the little know it all." Pansy fingered her wand as a smirk crossed her face expectantly looking at Draco as if waiting for him to agree.

But Draco was staring back out the window again. "I don't know why you care." He directed towards Blaise.

"Hey who knows how long we have left in school. I plan to have fun this year. Everyone in our house in our year is on edge and uptight so I feel like this is the year for some interhouse mingling." He smirked. "Besides…Granger's grown up. Just like most the girls in our year. A little harmless flirting won't harm anyone."

Pansy made a vomiting sound. "That's absolutely disgusting Blaise."

"Oh don't think I didn't see you eyeing Finch-Fletchley on the platform."

"At least he isn't a Gryffindor!"

"No he's a Hufflepuff which is much worse in my opinion."

"Enough!" Draco drawled. He was tired of listening to them go back and forth.

"I wasn't really looking at Justin, Draco." Pansy said softly reaching for his hand across the table.

"I could care less who you look at Pansy." Draco said ignoring her outstretched hand. He looked at Blaise and shook his head. "You wouldn't actually consider snogging Granger would you?"

Blaise smiled a genuine smile. "She got hot." He simply said. "Blood doesn't matter to me when it comes to snogging Draco." He then got up and went to sit with Theodore Nott.

Draco shook his head looking back out the window trying to get the image that Blaise just created out of his head and trying to drown out the noise from Pansy talking about how disgusting she thought Blaise was being.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Hope you guys liked the first chapter! Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:** Well no reviews but over a hundred visitors to the story! That's super awesome! Special thanks to Calindy, PADfootBalck, ThEyOuNgAnGeL, Varroa, Winnie Wanze, dragonjun, marianna79, ouiplanete, and windyshoes for following the story. Also thank you to windyshoes and ThEyOuNgAnGeL for adding the story to your favorites. Very much appreciated :)

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter

* * *

The Great Hall was buzzing with its usual excitement at the start of a new year. Draco couldn't care less as he had far more important things on his mind. Even when his table cheered for their Head of House taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts he stayed seated and solemnly stared at the table, head resting on his hand. He had glanced up briefly at the mention of another new Professor this year, Slughorn, who was taking over potions which just happened to be his favorite subject.

He had been annoyed to say the least to find out that the Slytherins would be having potions with the Gryffindors again this year. He knew he would barely be focused on his classes with the task that had been set before him, but now having to get used to a new professor _and_ deal with the Gryffindors was not something he was looking forward to.

He glanced over at their table and saw Potter nursing the bloody nose he had given him, whispering furiously to the Weasel and his sister and _her_. His mind drifted back to the train when he came across Blaise talking to her like it was perfectly normal. Or what _had_ he stumbled upon exactly? He had only heard half a sentence from Blaise before he interrupted him. He thought about the look in Granger's eyes when he walked up, the familiarity of dislike mixed with the expectation of a confrontation. However he didn't have time to waste on her and thus had decided to not insult her.

He thought about the fact that Blaise said she had grown up this year. He noticed her hair had tamed considerably. Her teeth fit her delicate face. Her skin had a natural glow to it that brought out her honey brown eyes. Eyes that were staring at him…wait what? He lifted his head off his hands in realization that she had caught him looking at her and he quickly lowered his eyes back to the table. He heard a huff beside him and turned to look at Blaise…who also happened to be looking towards Granger. Draco followed his eyes back and realized she hadn't been looking at him but had been looking at Blaise instead. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she lowered her gaze to the table then back to her friends. He heard Blaise chuckle beside him and for some reason it irritated him.

* * *

The next morning Potions seemed eventful. Draco daresay he even enjoyed the new Professor. He sat there and quietly observed as she, of course, listed off the effects of the potion Amortentia. As she listed off what the potion smelt like to her seeing as how it was different for everyone he heard Blaise beside him repeat what she was saying like he was storing that information for later. He couldn't fathom why Blaise was so interested in her this year. A Ravenclaw, hell even a Hufflepuff would be better. Blaise could even have focused his energy on any other girl in Gryffindor but for some reason he decided that Hermione Granger, know it all lioness princess, was to be the object of his attentions. Draco shook his head as he started for his cauldron and ingredients for the living death potion that Slughorn was having them make. If he could get it just right a bottle of Felix Felicis might be just what he needed to succeed this year at Hogwarts.

Hermione shuddered as Malfoy pushed past her towards the ingredients closet. He had been acting strange since their encounter on the train. But what was even more odd was the way Blaise Zabini had been acting. She snuck a peek over at the Italian wizard and saw that he was reading through the entire chapter first before starting on his potion.

She had caught him staring at her at dinner the night before. She had looked towards the table to glare at Malfoy after hearing what he had done to Harry on the train once they had arrived at Hogwarts. Instead she had locked eyes with Blaise to find him staring at her intensely. She had blushed and looked down towards the table. After what seemed like forever she dared to look back at the Slytherin table to find Blaise had averted his attentions to Pansy, which then she looked at Malfoy and noticed he hadn't touched his food nor was he engaging in conversation with any of his friends.

She drew her attention back to her cauldron and looked over to see that Harry and Ron had already started on their potions. She took out her book and set out her ingredients and got started.

The hour drew on and many students were finding the potion quite difficult to brew. Most, except for Harry that was. By the end of class he had successfully made a near perfect draught of living death, thus earning him the vial of Felix Felicis. Draco would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. He was used to Granger besting him in all of their subjects but Potter? Now he had to deal with Potter besting him at the one subject he had always excelled in? Maybe the new professor wasn't that great after all.

Later that evening Draco found himself wandering down a corridor to the Room of Requirement. Last year he had outed the Golden Trio and their friends that had come up with Dumbledore's Army and had been meeting in the Room of Requirement for over half the year. When the Dark Lord had given him his task he knew he would find the extra cabinet there. It was a mess, the room seemed to be never ending with useless junk.

When he finally found the cabinet he removed the old dusty covering on it and examined it with his wand. He had researched that the cabinets were extremely temperamental and there was lots of work to be done before the connection between the two cabinets was mended. He picked up an apple he had brought with him, to serve as a experiment to see how badly the connection was broken, and placed it in the cabinet. As he whispered the incantation to make the apple disappear and then again to reappear his hopes that it would be an easy task were doused when he saw the state the apple had reappeared in. He grabbed a chair and got to work uttering every spell he could think of to mend the cabinet that would seal his fate.

* * *

Later that week in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was curled up in a big chair in front of the fireplace with a book. Ron and Harry were on the floor in front of her playing a game of wizards chess and Ginny was sitting on the couch next to her chair working on an assignment.

Her thoughts kept straying back and forth between Malfoy and Zabini. She realized not only had she been on the same page for the last few minutes but Ron had been trying to get her attention.

"Hello?! Hermione are you even listening?" He shouted at her while waving his hands in front of her face.

She snapped out her thoughts and shook her head looking at him. "I'm sorry Ron I was just thinking…about this chapter." She finished lamely sneaking a glance at Ginny to which Ginny just laughed and shook her head returning to her assignment.

"I was saying that Cormac bloke fancies you, you know. Asked me at tryouts if I could get him an introduction with you. Shame he didn't make the team but I really did do a better job than him." Ron bragged.

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes smiling. "Cormac is vile so no introductions will be needed." She returned to her book again blocking out Ron talking about tryouts. Honestly if she knew it was gonna cause him to act like this she would have never cast the Confundus charm on Cormac to make him miss his last shot.

Not caring to hear about Quidditch any longer she excused herself and went to the library. Making her way through the aisles of books she turned into her favorite corner that had a table that was away from the main section of the library. She had found it in their second year and since then had always come here to study or do research for one of their many adventures.

She had barely settled in to her table however when a movement caught her eye behind the shelf to the left of the table. She grabbed her wand, startled as Blaise rounded the corner with a book in his hands. Not expecting to see a wand raised at him he raised his hands in defense.

"Whoa there Granger." He said with a hint of amusement.

Hermione lowered her wand but kept it in her hand just in case. "What are you doing here Zabini?" She cautiously asked.

"In the library? Same as you I suppose, looking for a book to help with a paper I have due for McGonnagal." He made a movement to come sit at her table but she raised her wand again.

"Really Granger? I'm not going to harm you. Put that thing away." He lazily drawled, however stayed on feet.

She flushed before lowering her wand again putting it in her bag sitting next to her. Since it was after dinner she had discarded her robes back in her dorm but was still wearing her uniform. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and her shirt untucked from her skirt. Blaise noticed her skirt while modest length still showed off her smooth legs before disappearing under her maroon and golden knee socks.

"Why are you talking to me?" She asked him. She was genuinely puzzled by the way he was acting. He had never spoken a word to her before. He wasn't always there when Malfoy would spit harsh words at her, but when he was he had never joined in the jeering like Crabbe and Goyle did. But he was still Malfoy's friend _and_ a Slytherin so she wanted to know what he was up to.

Blaise took this opportunity to sit down across from her and set his book on the table. He folded his hands in front of him and leaned in so he could see her face in the dimly lit library. She didn't look scared or angry. She looked curious.

"I don't hate you Granger." He simply said. When her face remained the same he continued. "I don't particularly care for you Gryffindors, annoying bunch you are. But I don't hate you."

Hermione scoffed at him and leaned back crossing her arms over her chest. "And what makes you think I don't hate you?" She challenged.

Blaise laughed and leaned back in his chair as well. "Hermione I don't think you could hate anyone let alone me. I'm too handsome to hate." He stated matter of factly.

She let out a genuine laugh. "You are full of yourself is what you are Zabini."

"Call me Blaise."

"Why?"

"Because Hermione it's my name and I have done nothing to you to deserve your hatred of me."

"Besides being Malfoy's best friend AND a Slytherin." She rolled her eyes.

"I thought you Gryffindors were supposed to be brave, courageous and loyal? Not hateful, spiteful and judgmental." He fired back at her.

She didn't have anything to say to that. She looked down at the table ashamed.

Blaise got up and grabbed his book and turned to leave.

"Wait!" She called out. "I-I'm sorry…Blaise. You are absolutely right you have done nothing to deserve the way I've treated you. Please…sit." She asked him.

He turned and sat back down at the table. "See? Was that so hard? Get to know someone before you judge Miss Granger."

"Please, call me Hermione." She shyly said.

Blaise smiled and nodded. "So I take it you've finished McGonnagal's assignment?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded her head. "Of course I did. I finished it days ago!" She exclaimed.

"Then please explain to me what on earth I am doing wrong with the Avis spell. I can conjure the birds but have absolutely no control over them! I set them all loose on accident in the Slytherin common room. I thought the girls were going to kill me!" Blaise said.

Hermione laughed and launched into an explanation of how the spell was to be performed. They sat at the table for hours talking about transfiguration amongst other things until Madame Pince shooed them out from their corner so she could close down the library.

"I didn't realize how late it was." Hermione said. They had been the only two left in the library and were standing at the doors which had been closed.

"Yea I better be getting back." Blaise said turning towards the dungeons. "Goodnight Hermione…thank you for taking a chance on a Slytherin. I promise we don't all bite."

Hermione laughed as she turned towards the Gryffindor tower. "We'll see about that." She yelled back getting a laugh from Blaise in return. Both went their separate ways towards their respective common rooms, unaware of a pair of grey eyes that had just stumbled upon them parting ways, on his way back to his room.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Reviews=love. Slow start I know but we gotta build up to all the good things to come!


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** Thank you so much to **dragonjun** , **windyshoes** , **ouiplanete** , and guests for the reviews. Also thank you so much to **ItsNanna** and **hgregg480** for adding the story to your favorites. Last but not least thank you to **tobiz9** , **lizagarner** , **hockey1** , **enchanted16** , **andry4** , **Quirky74747** , **ItsNanna** , **HGDMSS** , and **Becky80** for following the story. All of the support is so appreciated.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Weeks went by and as hard as Draco tried to get the cabinet to work he was getting no where. He started to attempt other ways to fulfill his task and ending up seriously injuring a stupid Gryffindor who couldn't keep her hands to herself and just _had_ to look at the package that he Imperioed her to deliver to Dumbledore.

To say he was giving it his all would be a complete lie. His thoughts were occupied with so many questions as to why Blaise was spending so much time with that bookworm Granger. They often spent nights in the library doing homework together and he even had started treating her more like a friend during potions. The fact that they had both been asked to join the Slugclub only gave them more opportunities to spend time in each others company.

He felt like Blaise was shoving her in his face. Like here he had tamed a lioness with such ease and gotten her to trust him with such grace; Draco would never have been able to succeed in such a task.

Not that he had wanted to by any means. But she was just always _there_. In the halls, in class, outside by the lake, and when she wasn't accompanied by Potter and the Weasel she was always with the Weaselette. She was never alone, always with a group and always seeming to draw his attention to her whenever she was around.

He caught himself staring at her on more than one occasion. He knew every caramel highlight in her hair, he knew she wrote down ideas or thoughts as they came to her, he knew how she took her tea at breakfast, and how her eyes seemed to light up whenever the Weasel would show her the slightest bit of attention.

He hated, absolutely loathed, that she was taking up so much of his mind. He found himself wanting to crash her and Blaise's little homework parties in the library more than he wanted to be in the Room of Requirement fixing that blasted cabinet. Which is why he was poised behind a bookshelf on the other side of their table instead of being where he should have been.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. After fighting with himself for over ten minutes about whether to stay or go he finally pushed himself off the shelf towards the door when the sound of her laughter stopped him dead in his tracks. One moment he was turned towards the door ready to leave and the next he found himself walking to their table.

She gasped when she saw him and straightened herself, smile slipping into a frown. Blaise carefully watched him approach and Draco noticed that he had leaned towards her ever so slightly as if protectively. Draco smirked and slapped his hands down on the top of the table.

"Well well what do we have here Blaise? Been wondering where you've been sneaking off to, never thought I'd find you here." He drawled.

Blaise leaned back in his chair turning so he was looking straight at Draco. "Just been doing homework Draco…some of us have to actually pass this year…some of us want to come back to graduate next year." He said pointedly.

Draco noticed Hermione narrowed her eyes at Blaise's cryptic response and knew she was probably storing that away in her mind to write down. He turned his attention to her and stared hard into her honey colored eyes.

"You can do that in the common room…no need to sully your reputation by hanging around _mudbloods_." He shot the words to Blaise while looking at her as though he was trying to pierce her with them.

She surprised him however when a smirk crept over her face and she laughed. How dare she laugh at him! She started putting her stuff away still laughing and got up from the table forcing him to move off to the side for her. Regardless of him moving out of the way she still had to shove him with her elbow and he grabbed where she had touched him as if she had stung him.

"Stupid prat." She said. "Do you really think that word bothers me anymore? Surely even you saw a paper over the summer. My blood is red…just like yours Malfoy. Your stupid Pureblood ideals are tired and pathetic."

"How dare you speak to me that way!" He bellowed.

"Now now children." Came Blaise's amused voice. "Hermione you know not _all_ Purebloods feel that way. Draco was there something you needed? Or did you just come to cause trouble?"

Draco was seething with anger. How dare she treat him like she was better than him! How dare she speak to him like that! And Blaise, what was happening with him? Why was he acting like a bloody Ravenclaw? Like he was above the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor feud and was going to stay neutral.

"What's wrong Malfoy? Cat got your tongue?" She said defiantly. It sounded like a purr to his ears. Stupid, stupid girl. Merlin what was wrong with him?

"Have a good night Blaise." She purred again. She smirked at Draco as she left leaving him there, mouth gaping like a fish. When she was out of sight he turned sharply towards Blaise who was just sitting there watching him with a smirk on his face, arms crossed leaning back against his chair.

"What games are you playing at Blaise?" He demanded.

Blaise just continued to smirk at him. "Interesting isn't it?" He asked Draco.

"Isn't what interesting?! Have you gone bloody mad?" Draco growled.

"You think I haven't noticed the way you watch her Draco? Ever since I started spending more time with her you're always watching her. Always there like a snake ready to strike his prey. Waiting to strike her…waiting to hurt her. Really mate what has she really _done_ to you?" Blaise asked him.

Draco stood frozen in place. Apparently he hadn't been the only one doing some watching. Merlin what had she done to him? He pondered the question over in his mind although his had a very different meaning from Blaise's. This was stupid she was just a lowly mudblood. He opened his mouth to retaliate but Blaise cut him off.

"Just something to think about mate. Things aren't always what they seem Draco." Blaise picked his things up off of the table and walked past a still frozen Draco.

By the time Draco had anything to say back he was gone and Draco was left alone in the little corner of the library. He sat in the seat Blaise had been occupying and put his head in hands in what was becoming a very familiar pose for him. He was failing miserably in both school and his task. All he could think about was his family and how they were counting on him to restore their name amongst the Dark Lord's ranks. All of their hopes rested with him and all he could focus on was Granger. But why?

Blaise's words echoed in his head. _Things aren't always what they seem Draco._

He fell asleep, head on the table, pondering those words. That night his dreams were haunted by a snake and a lion. Only the snake wasn't hiding in the grass ready to strike. It was out in the open, resting on a rock while the lion stalked it in the tall grass behind.

* * *

"Why does he have to be such an insufferable prat? I really don't get it. His father is in Azkaban, his mother is never seen in public, like you think that he would have some change of heart and not still go around acting like he's better than everyone else!" Hermione huffed as she walked out to the Quidditch pitch. Blaise chuckled at her as he walked beside her. Students were starting at them openly as they had never really hung out outside of the library before.

"Still on about this are we love?" He lazily asked as he eyed Pansy making her way towards them. Pansy had come looking for him in the library one night and after a row with Hermione she seemed like she was capable of being around them without causing trouble. Blaise would even go so far as to say Pansy admired that Hermione didn't back down from her and could match her attitude. Most girls just slunk away from her and gave her what she wanted. Hermione didn't put up with her attitude.

"I just don't understand. He drives me mad." She said.

"Who drives you mad?" Pansy asked as she caught up with them.

"Malfoy. How you two have been friends with him for this long is completely unknown to me." Hermione eyed Pansy warily. She still had her guard up when it came to the female Slytherin, but she had to admit she really wasn't all that bad. She had been right nasty at first but as soon as Hermione shot insults right back at her Pansy had almost seemed to warm up to her. Her presence was a regular one in the library on the nights her and Blaise were doing homework.

They were beginning to get more odd looks followed by harsh whispers and Hermione realized what it must look like to everyone else. Her walking to the pitch with both Blaise and Pansy…two Slytherins on the day it was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. She huffed again and exclaimed loudly "there is nothing wrong with inter house unity!"

Blaise and Pansy laughed at her at they started their way towards the Slytherin stands. Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor stands and was joined by Luna and Neville.

"I think it's quite lovely that you are making friends outside of your own house." Luna stated dreamily.

"I would watch your back if I were you Hermione." Neville said. "You can't trust Slytherin to have anything other than bad intentions when it comes to Gryffindor."

"Oh Neville you're being silly. Blaise is not like the other Slytherins. He's kind and extremely smart. Pansy…well I haven't quite figured her out yet." Hermione stated. They made their way up the stands and settled in waiting for the game to start.

* * *

"Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!" Everyone chanted back in the common room. Gryffindor had won against Slytherin. Hermione hadn't had a chance to see Blaise and Pansy again after the match, getting caught up in the crowd back to their tower. She watched as Ron stood in the middle of the room taking in all the glory of their victory. She nudged Harry who was standing next to her.

"You shouldn't have done it you know." She said, referring to the Felix Felicis he had put in Ron's pumpkin juice that morning at breakfast.

"I guess I could have just cast a Confundus charm then?" He said with a laugh. He pulled the bottle out and showed her it was still stoppered and that he had in fact only made Ron think he had given it to him.

Hermione blushed. "You didn't use it." She said.

He shook his head at her. "No."

Hermione smiled and turned her attention back to Ron. She started to move forward to congratulate him when all of a sudden he was grabbed from behind and forced to turn into the arms of Lavender Brown who planted a firm kiss on his lips. Hermione stood frozen in horror as her roommate kissed the boy she had been friends with for so long and had started to develop feelings for.

She turned away and made her way through the crowd not missing the looks of sympathy she received from both Harry and Ginny. She left the common room ignoring the Fat Lady calling out after her that she was going to miss the festivities from their victorious win. She found herself winding down the tower into a small open alcove that had a window overlooking the grounds.

She sat on the steps as tears started to cloud her eyes. Drawing her knees to her chest she muttered a charm. "Avis." As the birds started to appear overhead she cried silently as she watched them fly to and fro.

Draco was headed to the Room of Requirement when he heard someone crying down a stairwell off to side of him. He stopped and listened carefully. He could hear the Gryffindors above somewhere loudly celebrating their win over his house. He hadn't gone to the match. He no longer was playing on the team and had other things to worry about other than Quidditch.

He stepped towards the sound and peered around the corner to see where it was coming from. A slight ways down the stairwell he could see someone sitting on the steps crying quietly. He walked a few steps down and realized with a start that it was Granger. He'd know that hair anywhere.

They hadn't spoken since that night in the library and he hadn't gone out of his way to catch a glimpse of her. Blaise's words still echoed in his head from that night. Even Pansy was hanging around them more. He knew if Pansy could tolerate being around her then it was only a matter of time before she became more of a constant in the Slytherins lives.

He studied her quietly. She had cast a charm and had birds fluttering above her head and she was watching them carefully. Why was she crying? His feet moved before his brain could register what was happening.

Her head turned sharply and she heard someone approaching. To his surprise she didn't jump up and away from him when she realized who it was coming down the stairs.

"What's wrong Granger? Shouldn't you be up there celebrating with the rest of them? Heard the Weasel put on quite a show out there." Draco drawled.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and turned back away from him. "It's none of your concern Malfoy." She spat at him.

Draco knew he should have just walked away from her then and gone about his business but something was compelling him to stay. He went to step out of the shadows of the stairwell and into the light next to her when the door to their left flew open and out stumbled Weasley and a girl from Gryffindor whose name he didn't know. He stepped back into the shadows and pressed himself against the wall. Lavender's eyes flickered to his figure but he knew they hadn't seen that it was actually him.

"Oops. Looks like this room is taken." She giggled. She grabbed Ron's hand and went to lead him up the opposite stairwell. Ron looked back at them not even registering the figure standing on the stairs behind Hermione.

"What are the birds for?" He asked.

Draco watched amused as she stood up and pointed her wand at the ginger. "Oppugno!" She cried. The birds started dashing towards Ron with a fury and he ran back towards where Lavender had disappeared up the stairs.

Draco watched as Hermione fell back down to the stairs and a fresh new batch of tears ran down her face. It seemed as if she had forgotten he was behind her. He didn't know why but it bothered him to see her cry. It had never bothered him when he was the one making her cry but seeing someone who was supposed to be so close to her causing her pain well, it just didn't seem right.

He knelt down next to her without really knowing why and spoke in gentlest voice he had ever used with anyone other than his mother. "Weasley is a stupid prat Granger. No use in wasting tears on someone who doesn't deserve them."

He was gone before she could even look up at him. She looked behind her in search of him but he was no where to be seen. Like he hadn't even been there. Had Malfoy just been _nice_ to her? Or had she just imagined that he had been there the whole time?

Further down the corridor Draco continued his way to the Room of the Requirement. He flexed his hand next to his side…the hand that had itched to reach out and brush her hair out of her eyes and wipe the tears away. Surely he had thought her and Blaise were in the beginnings of some kind of involvement and even tho the thought of that bothered him it didn't bother him nearly as much as realizing that she had feelings for that damn Weasley.

Of course Weasley wouldn't notice what was right in front of him. No wonder she had been spending so much time away from the Gryffindors this year. Draco felt a smirk making its way onto his face. Maybe Granger wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

 **Authors Note** : Reviews = the loveliest of loves. Sorry it seemed like it may have taken a while to get out but this is probably the rate at which chapters will be released. Probably once a week unless I have more time to get more out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors' Note:** Hello all! So while the story isn't getting many reviews I'm very appreciative of all the Favorites and Followers its getting. Special thank you to my reviewers **Sora loves Rain** , **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** and **Guests**. Thank you to **Darkmaster34** , **FanFictionLuvr50** , **Megan750** , **Mirmir2115** , **Sora loves Rain** , **jsgirl2dae** , **missbaha** , **percabeth799** , **snlemonpie** for adding the story to your favorites. Last but not least thank you to **BlondHairedAsuka** , **Bookz24** , **Bratalia** , **Endriago** , **FanFictionLuvr50** , **Gingersnap0026** , **Grovek26** , **HopelesslyEmotional** , **Howlow Moon** , **Makuahine** , **Megan750** , **Mirmir2115** , **Stantetley** , **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , **dramonie1028** , **hellomadness** , **hgregg480** , **jsgirl2dae** , **missbaha** , **percabeth799** , **renatafbarros** , **snlemonpie** , and **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** for following the story. The continued support means so much!

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Blaise watched as Draco watched Hermione from across the table in the Great Hall. He had been watching them sneak glances at each other all week and wanted to know what was going on but didn't know how to ask. Then all of a sudden he got a brilliant idea.

"So Slughorn is going to have a Christmas party for the club." He said. Pansy was sitting across from them and perked up in interest and he noticed Draco broke his gaze for a second to look at him then he resumed watching her.

"I think I'm going to ask Hermione to go with me." He pondered aloud. Pansy's shoulder slumped visibly and now he had Draco's full attention.

"What is your obsession with Granger?" Draco demanded.

Blaise grinned and slapped his hands together. "What is YOUR obsession with her?!" He said.

"Oh Merlin's beard! You both are obsessed!" Pansy cried throwing her hands in the air. She got up and moved down the table to sit with Millicent.

Both boys watched her go and neither noticed Hermione was watching the whole display curiously. They both turned back to each other.

"You think I haven't noticed you watching her so much lately? And she's watching you just as much so I know something happened that neither of you are telling me about." Blaise said accusingly. He noticed Draco looked surprised when he stated she had been watching him too. A small smirk appeared on his face as he opened his mouth to respond to Blaise.

"Nothing happened." He stated calmly. "I found her crying over the bloody Weasel after they won the Quidditch match. I told her he wasn't worth her tears and then I left."

Blaise looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. "You did what? Do you realize how out of character that is of you in her eyes? And now you both won't stop staring at each other?"

"Jealous that she's giving someone other than you her attentions Blaise?" Draco drawled.

"I knew she had a thing for Weasley. Anyone who spends any time with her knows. But since that day she hasn't said a word about him. She spends even more time in the library if that's even possible. The only time she's in the Gryffindor tower is when she's sleeping. She's not even sitting with them lately." Blaise said.

They both looked towards the Gryffindor's table and Draco realized he was right. She was sitting with the Weaselette and the redhead's boyfriend.

"Well stupid git doesn't realize what's right in front of him, she's smart to distance herself while he makes a show of snogging that tart." Draco sipped his pumpkin juice.

"All of a sudden you care what she does? You hate Hermione, Draco what are you doing?" Blaise asked.

"I don't hate her Blaise. She's infuriating, and a know it all, bookworm, and best friends with blasted Potter. But I don't HATE her."

"She's a _mudblood_. Or have you forgotten that?" Blaise asked. He hated using the word but he wanted to understand Draco's sudden change of heart towards the girl.

Draco didn't even flinch at the use of it though. His answer however surprised Blaise.

"Her blood is the same as ours. I've been raised to believe she's underneath us because she isn't pureblooded and I believe that to an extent. She is beneath us in terms of how she was born. But she's not dumb and she isn't a _mudblood_. Her blood isn't dirty. I can't believe our parents actually try and make us believe that load of bullocks."

"Mine didn't. You did believe it for quite some time Draco. Until this year you believed it. She changed your mind."

Draco looked back to Hermione, down at the table, then finally back up at Blaise.

"I don't know what changed my mind. I just did."

* * *

Draco was startled when Blaise came through the door the common room in a huff. He had been sitting there by the fire thinking about the Room of Requirement and how he should have been there but he was stuck in trying to figure out how to fix the cabinet. So here he was sitting all alone in the Slytherin common room by the fire, that was until Blaise had just stormed in.

"What's wrong with you." He turned his chair towards Blaise.

Blaise stormed over and grabbed a chair and sat opposite of him by the fire.

"I hate McLaggen! Bloody prat he is. I was walking down the hall behind him and his group of fangirls. They all wanna go to the bloody party with him. You know what he says to them? He says _sorry ladies it seems I'm already taken for the evening for Miss Granger has agreed to accompany me for the night_." Blaise imitated Cormac poorly while making weird gestures with his hands.

Draco sprung forward in his chair. "I thought you were asking Granger?" He asked him.

"I did! And she told me she had already been asked by someone else. I thought it was bloody Potter! I didn't ask her who it was! But no it was bloody McLaggen!"

This information put Draco in a sour mood instantly. He hated…absolutely loathed Cormac McLaggen. The prat walked around acting like the was above everyone…including Draco and Draco didn't like it one bit. Blaise had always said it was because he was Gryfindor's version of the Slytherin Prince but Draco had grown up with Cormac and had hated him since the very moment they had met. Their father's had done business together so when they were younger they were around each other often.

"Now this means I'm going to have to take someone I would really rather not spend the evening with." Blaise continued complaining.

"Why not take Pansy?" Draco suggested.

Blaise's eyes lit up like he hadn't actually thought about that yet.

"Great idea! Thanks mate!" He stood up and rushed towards the door to go find Pansy.

Draco left the common room as well. This new information about Granger going anywhere with Cormac unsettled him and the feeling bothered him.

* * *

He strolled along the halls not really sure where he was headed. He turned the feelings he was not used to around in his head trying to figure out why exactly he was feeling the way he was. It almost made him angry to know that when he should have been putting all of his attentions towards fixing the cabinet his mind was more occupied with thoughts of Granger. Now hearing of her going to Slughorn's christmas party with Cormac made him angry. Why couldn't she have gone with Blaise? Why would she even consider going to the party with Cormac? He wasn't her type at all. He was arrogant and a playboy and she was….pure.

He rolled the word around in his head and realized it was the best word he could come up with in describing her. He also realized he had made it to the top of the Astronomy tower and it was cold and he had forgotten his cloak.

He turned to walk back to the dungeons having found himself in the tower for what must have been quite some time already. When had the sky gotten so dark?

He was startled when he heard footsteps and before he knew it the object of his tormented thoughts was standing there frozen staring at him. She was flushed from having walked all the stairs with her book bag which looked to him to be full of books, quills and parchment. Her hair was down and slightly frizzed and she too looked absent of her cloak. She was wearing her school uniform and he noticed her shirt was untucked and her tie was hanging loosely from her neck with the top buttons of her shirt undone.

His mouth went dry as he struggled for the words to say and he found himself extremely upset in that moment.

"What are you doing here?" He sneered at her.

She looked completely taken back by his attitude and frowned at him continuing her way into the top of the tower and dropping her stuff next to him.

"I happen to have some homework to finish and I need a look at the stars." She explained.

"Can't you see the tower is occupied at the moment?" He bit at her. He inwardly flinched at how he sounded but he was so angry that she already found her way into every one of his thoughts and now when he wanted a little bit of solace, here she was again.

"What is your problem?" She asked him. She made no move to leave but started unpacking her stuff from her bag.

He turned towards the open window in the tower and stood to look out over the grounds. He took a deep breath before answering her.

"Heard you're going with McLaggen to the party Slughorn is having." He stated.

"That's your problem Malfoy? You haven't said a word to me since…since the last time we spoke. That's whats got your trousers in a bunch?" She continued to unpack her stuff till she had it all laid out then stood to look at him.

He continued to look out the opening in the wall but bristled slightly at her tone.

"I could care less about you and McLaggen but I don't appreciate you playing around with Blaise's emotions." He spat at her. He didn't really care about that either, he knew the feelings between the two were platonic, but he didn't know what else to say.

Hermione's shoulders relaxed and she walked over to him. "Blaise and I are just friends Malfoy. He doesn't care who I go with, although I wish I had thought of it sooner. Cormac isn't exactly my type." She spoke softly.

When he still wouldn't turn to look at her she reached up and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

It startled him but he found himself unable to move out from under her touch. He turned and looked at her for what seemed like forever. She finally let his shoulder go and he missed the warmth of her hand immediately.

"You're not so bad Malfoy." She gently said. The statement should have upset him but he found himself not really feeling anything at that moment. It was getting cold in the tower.

She picked up a book and quill and started looking out at the stars. He watched her, for how long he couldn't say.

* * *

The next morning Draco woke with a start. Realizing he was not in his bed he looked around and realized he must have fallen asleep in the tower. He noticed he was covered in a soft green blanket that had to have had a heating charm on it. He was unusually warm for sleeping in the tower all night long.

He looked around for any sight of Granger. Why hadn't she woken him? Why hadn't she told him to go to bed when she had left?

He got his answer as he realized there was enough space under the blanket for two and the spot next to him wasn't covered in the frost that seemed to take over the tower. Then he remembered. He had watched her watch the stars all night, they hadn't spoken another word to each other. Eventually he had sat against the wall and picked up one of her books to read. What seemed like hours later she had come to sit next to him and silently finished her work. He didn't remember when they had fallen asleep.

He stood up and stretched letting the blanket fall to the floor. He started to walk down the stairs to head back to the Slytherin common room but he stopped and turned back to grab the blanket. He cast a quick spell to shrink it and placed it in his pocket.

* * *

Back in the Gryffindor common room Hermione was laying awake in her bed starting at the ceiling. She was relieved that she was able to sneak back in unnoticed. She had woken up in the Astronomy Tower leaning her head on the shoulder of Malfoy! She didn't remember falling asleep but she must have laid her head on his shoulder at some point during the night. She was glad he had cast a heating charm over them when she had come to sit next to him. Before she left she conjured up a blanket and had laid it over him casting another heating charm.

She had taken one last look at him before sneaking back to her common room. He had looked so peaceful and almost angelic. She laughed to herself. Malfoy angelic? But that was the best way to describe the scene she had left behind. His skin so pale it was practically glowing, his white blonde hair falling in to his eyes, the frost settled all around him. She flushed and turned burying her face into her pillow. What was wrong with her?

She fell back asleep with visions of a certain blonde Slytherin racing around in her head.

* * *

Blaise was sitting next to the fireplace when Draco walked into the common room. He raised his eyebrows at him.

"Where were you all night?" He asked him.

Draco stood frozen, glad that it was Blaise that had been sitting there and no one else. It was too early for anyone to actually be up.

"What are you doing up?" He asked the dark skinned Slytherin.

"You never came back last night. So naturally I was worried. Went off looking for you then overheard that daft tart Weasley is dating talking about how no one had seen Hermione all night." Blaise stated amusingly.

He looked over at Draco who still wasn't looking at him. He watched some kind of emotion he couldn't describe flicker over Draco's face.

"I said I didn't know what changed my mind." Draco said, pausing. He turned his head and looked Blaise straight in the eyes. "She did…and I was a fool to pretend otherwise."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Yay! I finally finished this chapter! There are so many things I want to do with this story but sometimes my fingers get carried away and I realize I typed Draco too out of character or too unbelievable. I know that obviously they are going to be out of character somewhat but a lot of the times I have to go back and change the direction of the story. While still aiming for the same ending I'm wanting. Reviews are always appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:** Hello all! So after I posted the last chapter I actually had this one written, edited and ready to post within two days. However there was one review that made me stop and rethink this entire story. Where I was going with it and whether or not I should continue it. I decided that it was worth finishing…I've even thought of a short story to follow it making it sort of a trilogy I suppose.

I absolutely love getting constructive criticism because it really challenges my mind and always pushes me to make a better story. After giving it a lot of thought I realized that yes while I do struggle with multiple POV's I am writing the boys exactly how I'm wanting them to come off. Although you are right in that I could do a better job of going into more detail. As for Hermione not being around the Gryffindors a whole lot while she was in earlier chapters I kinda feel like I'm writing her with the Slytherins because that is what I'm focusing on. It doesn't necessarily mean she's not with the Gryffindors at other points. I feel like sixth year the trio had their own things going on respectively. Ron had Lavender hanging on him a good portion of the year causing Hermione to not want to be around them, Harry spent a lot of time with Dumbledore and this left a large portion of the year for Hermione to need to focus on something. This something in my story happens to be Draco and Blaise.

As for you reading my other works I have to say I wrote two of them a great long time ago lol. For some reason "Sometimes you have to grow up" is somewhat of a hit amongst that community although reading back on it I personally don't think it's that great. "Count the Saints" is a part of this story however and I am proud of it. More will be explained on it as this story grows…so if you don't want somewhat of a spoiler for the end of this story don't read it.

One last thing to my extremely large and annoying authors note is that I listen to music while I write every single chapter. Music inspires my chapters, my way of writing these characters, and a lot of the time I can't think of the chapter unfolding without the music playing in it's background. For some of the chapters I will tell you what song or songs inspired that particular chapter or what part in the story they belong if you want to know. There's a couple of songs that played a huge part in this story's creation. I'll put them in the authors note's of the chapter in which they belong.

Thank you to **dramonie1028** , **Sora Loves Rain** , **Grovek26** , **apriljunemay** , **xXMizz** **Alec VolturiXx** , **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** and **dorklover** for reviewing. Also thanks to **asian book worm** , **amg06113** , **chapou69** , **apriljunemay** , **EnidBarb** , **ange lumiere** , **dorklover,** **mellybelly79, Smw2012, Hilary-O,** and **EllieMay Duncan** for following. Also **MusicIsLife823** for favoriting.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter…blah blah blah.

* * *

Days passed and Draco spent most of his time in the Room of Requirement working on the cabinet. Things seemed for the most part to go back to normal between him and Granger. Or at least what had been normal before the Astronomy Tower for them, which was stealing glances when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Slughorn's party was tonight and Blaise and Pansy were getting ready to leave. This was the first time Draco found himself wanting to be somewhere other than working on the cabinet. But if he was being honest with himself he spent more time up there looking through old things than figuring out how to fix it.

"What are you going to do all night Draco?" Pansy asked him. She was wearing her hair up and a yellow sparkly dress that hurt his eyes.

He rolled his eyes at her "You look like a Huff-"

"Gorgeous! As always Pans you look gorgeous! Why don't you wait for me in the corridor?" Blaise interrupted him.

He scowled as Pansy walked away from them and Blaise finished fixing his tie.

"Why do you always have to be mean to her?" Blaise asked him.

"She does look like a bloody Hufflepuff. Yellow? Really Blaise?" He stood up from his chair and walked over to the window looking at the weather outside before returning to the chair.

Blaise slowly turned around. He was wearing black dress robes with a yellow tie. Draco couldn't help but laugh.

"I knew I would have just been better off with Hermione." Blaise sighed. "Still thinking of crashing?" He asked Draco.

Draco didn't know if he wanted to crash the party. Did he want to see Granger with McLaggen? Or should he just avoid the whole situation entirely?

"I don't know mate." He stated simply.

"Well don't ruin the punch….on second thought do but give us a warning first." Blaise smirked and briskly walked out the door.

Draco watched him go and after a while decided he really should go to the Room of Requirement. As he left the common room a little voice in the back of his head kept repeating that the room wasn't where he was actually headed.

* * *

Up in the Gryffindor girls dormitories, Hermione was slipping on her shoes as she was zipping up Ginny's dress. The redheaded girl smiled graciously at her and straightened her hair over her shoulders.

"Cormac's jaw is going to drop when he sees you." She said to Hermione.

"I can't believe I didn't think to ask Harry. Or even Blaise! What on earth made me think Cormac was the answer to not going to the party alone?" Hermione responded.

She noticed Ginny's face reddened slightly at the mention of asking Harry. Why those two didn't just admit they had feelings for each other yet was beyond her. She knew that Ginny and Dean probably weren't going stay together much longer with how much they had been fighting lately.

Ginny linked her arm through Hermione's and she smiled sweetly at her. "Ready?" She asked. Hermione nodded and they walked arm in arm and down the stairs to the boys who were waiting for them in the common room.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs Ginny detached her arm and went to leave with Dean. Harry and Luna followed behind them and Hermione was left with Cormac.

"Hermione you look beautiful." Cormac said, taking her hand and kissing it.

Hermione blushed and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She said simply.

He grinned at her and offered his arm for her to take. She did and as they walked through the entrance to the common room to make their way to the party he started talking about Quidditch. Hermione rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Lurking around, Draco hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of Granger and McLaggen. Or even Blaise and Pansy for that matter. Wait no…there was that sparkly yellow dress…dancing with a boy he had seen on the arm of Melinda Bobbins earlier. So if Pansy was occupied then where was Blaise?

He didn't get a chance to find out as he was grabbed from behind and whirled around to see Filtch glaring at him.

"Trying to sneak in were you Mr. Malfoy?" Filtch spat at him. He hauled him into the room in front of everyone. "Professor Slughorn I caught him outside lurking in the shadows."

Professor Slughorn looked at Draco and gave a shrug. "Well that's quite alright Mr. Filtch young Mr. Malfoy can stay."

Filtch glared and opened his mouth to say something when Professor Snape appeared out of no where and latched on to Draco's arm.

"That's quite alright I will escort Mr. Malfoy out." He glared at Draco, as if daring him to say otherwise.

He shrugged Filtch off of him and straightened his jacket. He looked around the room and saw Potter staring at him glaring. He still saw no sign of Granger, McLaggen, or Blaise. But he turned to leave with Snape following him close behind.

* * *

Draco walked down the corridor after Snape had left. He knew the Professor meant well but he just wanted him to mind his own bloody business. Why had he made the Unbreakable Vow? Why had his mother gone to Snape of all people?

His thoughts were cut short however when he heard voices coming from down the corridor.

"Mind your own business Zabini this doesn't concern you." He recognized the voice of Cormac.

"I think it does concern me. Come on Hermione let's go back to the party." That had been Blaise?

"Hermione isn't going anywhere with you she's going to come back with me to the common room where she belongs with the _Gryffindors_. Not the Slytherins, Zabini."

"Now just a minute Cormac I'm not being forced to go anywhere with you." Granger's voice rang clear in the corridor and it made Draco's heart stop for a moment as he crept closer.

"I thought we were having a nice time tonight my little minx." Draco blanched at the statement that came out of Cormac's mouth. Had he really just said that?

"Seriously? That's disgusting. Hermione let's go." Blaise spat.

Draco rounded the corner to see Granger being pulled in two different directions. On one side she had Blaise grasping her hand and while not pulling her towards him he had planted himself firmly in the ground so that Cormac could not pull her along with him. Cormac had her hand and her elbow and looked as if he was about ready to let go and hit Blaise.

When Hermione saw Draco standing there it was as if time stood still for what seemed like hours to her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Blaise let go of her. Cormac turned to look towards Draco just as Draco reached out…and promptly hit Cormac right in the jaw. Cormac let go of her staggering backwards holding his jaw.

"What the hell Malfoy?" He spat.

Hermione had fallen back and Blaise had grabbed her arms from behind and stood off to the side.

"Touch her again and I will ruin that face of yours. Understand McLaggen?" Draco drawled.

"How dare you! My father will hear about this!" Cormac exclaimed, turning and storming off towards the Gryffindor tower.

He hadn't really thought it through before he hit Cormac but seeing him touch her, seeing how uncomfortable he was making her, it set Draco's blood on fire. It was like there was a beast buried deep inside him that screamed _mine_ ; and no one touched what was his. Except for she wasn't his and he was sure he would be hearing from his mother about this after Cormac spoke to his father.

Draco turned towards Blaise and Granger who were both staring at him, mouths gaping.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Granger asked him.

Draco stared at her. She was wearing a red dress that fit her perfectly and flared out at her waist. Her hair had been tamed even more so and pulled back halfway and she was wearing makeup for the first time since the Yule Ball. Had she dressed up to impress McLaggen? No, she had said he wasn't her type.

"I could ask you the same thing Granger? Blaise care to tell me why you two were tossing Granger around like a ragdoll?" Draco asked.

"They disappeared and when I couldn't find Hermione I came looking for her, Cormac had brought her out here and was trying to get her to go back to the tower." Blaise explained like it had been the most natural thing in the world.

Granger, he noticed looked down at the ground and was fidgeting with her hands. She flushed as she tried to find the words to say.

"I had the misfortune of finding myself under the mistletoe with Cormac. He was being extremely pushy…and I kissed him to make him shut up. I completely gave him the wrong idea." She finished quietly.

"I'm sorry you did what? That's gross Hermione." Blaise laughed at her.

She smacked him playfully on the arm and laughed as well "It was utterly vile I'll have you know!" She exclaimed.

Draco stood frozen watching the exchange between her and his friend. She had kissed McLaggen? He was still trying to process it in his mind. The mere thought of it made his blood boil and he found the beast inside him screaming _mine_ again. Why did he care so much what she did? He didn't have an answer for himself but all he knew was the thought of her kissing that disgusting excuse for a wizard made him want to go find Cormac and make sure he wouldn't be capable of kissing anyone ever again.

Draco was really starting to hate the way she was making him feel. It angered him that she was provoking these feelings in him. Yet at the same time he wasn't really angry with her at all.

Blaise noticed Draco hadn't spoken. He watched as his friend seemed to be going through some sort of inner battle and decided that maybe it was best if they just went back to the party.

"Alright well Pansy is probably wondering where we went off to so I think it's time to head back." Blaise grabbed Hermione's hand and started back that way.

"You go Blaise. Granger will be there in a minute." Draco finally spoke. He met her eyes which were frozen on his figure. She looked nervous…almost scared.

Blaise wasn't sure if he should stay or go but something was telling him his friend wasn't giving him the option.

"You ok?" He asked Hermione, dropping her hand.

It took a few seconds for her to respond but she finally did with a simple "yes."

So he left without another word. Leaving them alone in the cold corridor. Draco watched her as she hugged her arms around herself either trying to keep warm, or for comfort.

"Why did you kiss him? You know his reputation Granger he's in your own bloody house!" He found himself shouting at her. It startled her for a second and then a look of anger crossed her face.

"Why do _you_ care what I do Malfoy?! You hate me! Or at least you do most of the time! You either hate me or you're saying cryptic things that could be deciphered as nice but let's be honest it's you were talking about and you're not nice to me! You don't like me! So why do you care?" She shouted back at him. She had taken a few steps down the small stairwell and was coming closer to him with each step. She had had enough of this crazy back and forth game of let's be nice, no let's insult or ignore her.

"You have hated me since the moment we met! All of a sudden your friend shows a little interest in being friends with me, in proving that not _all_ of the Slytherin house feels the same way you do about people like me and you go and start acting all out of place like you can tolerate me. Well I know how you feel about me Malfoy! You don't have to pretend for Blaise's sake that you toler-"

"Bloody hell woman will you shut your mouth for once!" Draco interrupted her. He took a few steps towards her aware that there wasn't much space left between them now. "If I couldn't tolerate you what makes you think I would even for a _second_ think of talking to you while you were busy crying over the Weasel? If I couldn't tolerate you what makes you think I wouldn't have cursed you and left you in the blasted Astronomy Tower?" With every word he took a step towards her until he had her backed against the wall.

"You are infuriating Granger. I used to lay awake at night thinking of ways to bring you down, to make you understand your place. I want to hate you…every fiber of my being **wants** to hate you." He said softly, no longer feeling the need to shout now that they were so close. He leaned his face in closer to hers and took the moment to memorize her eyes that had been tormenting him so much lately.

He placed one hand by her head trapping her between the wall and his body. She looked at him defiantly, a look he had grown accustomed to receiving from her in all the years they had known each other. She raised her chin at him and he brought his other hand up to gently touch her face. She stiffened at the touch of his fingers as they danced along the side of her face. Her gaze softened and her eyes fluttered down to his lips for just a second. They were so close he could smell the soft peppermint of her breath.

Finally she found her voice and asked him. "If you want to hate me so badly then what exactly is the problem?"

She meant it to come out with more bite but it was nothing but a whisper. She could barely think straight with him so close to her face. Her mind kept telling her this was Malfoy that had her trapped against the wall and was caressing her face. Her mind kept telling her that every thing about this situation was wrong. That she should not be _here_ with _him_ in this position. But her heart wasn't entirely sure the situation was wrong, and her body wouldn't move.

Draco took the last step in between them, closing the space so his body was pressed up against hers. It was like it had a mind of its own as both his hands cupped her face and he brought his head down.

Her eyes widened in shock as Draco dipped his head closer to hers, as if he were about to kiss her. He paused when his lips were just barely hovering over hers.

"As much as I want to…I can't. I can't hate you…Hermione." He whispered. Her name sounded strange on his lips. It was the first time he had ever spoken it aloud.

Her breath caught in her throat and she found her body overthrowing her mind as she closed the small space between them and kissed him. Draco wasted no time in kissing her back with full force as her hands found their way up his body and into his hair.

It ended just as quickly as it had started when they heard voices coming down the corridor from the direction of the party. Draco distanced himself from her leaving her breathless and staring at him. What had he just done?

Both looked as shocked as the other felt. Hermione lifted a hand to her lips. She couldn't believe she had just kissed Draco Malfoy.

The voices started getting louder and shook Draco out of his shocked state. Without a word he turned heading the opposite way down the corridor. Hermione shook her head in confusion.

"Malfoy!" She called out, but he didn't stop. He didn't stop when she called him again, hearing the desperation in her voice.

"Draco dammit look at me!" She cried. He paused slightly hearing his name for the first time ever fall from her lips, but continued on down the corridor.

He didn't stop until he was in the Room of Requirement, staring at the cabinet in contempt wanting nothing more than to blast it to pieces and be done with the damn thing. He grabbed the closest thing to him and threw it across the room. He kept grabbing and throwing random things making an even bigger mess of the room in his rage. His own words echoing in his head.

 _As much as I want to…I can't. I can't hate you…Hermione._

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Whew! Finally some romance in there! Bout darn time right? Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's been so long this is an extremely busy month for me at work, with family, and a few other things that have happened. This chapter is going to be extremely short, no Draco just all Hermione. Thank you to **dramonie1028** , **Grovek26** , **apriljunemay** , **BeautifulRider** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , and **marzipan4** for reviewing. Thank you to **marzipan4** , **B-Mine** , **BookWormmy** , **Kamii'Lil'Bear** , **DauntlessSlytherinTravae** , **Shiriah** , **BeautifulRider** and **sheismagic** for following. And thank you to **BookWormmy** for adding this story to your favorites.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione made her way slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. She kept replaying the events that had just taken place over and over again in her mind. Her lips still tingled from where Draco had kissed her and she couldn't help but crack a small smile. Just as soon as she smiled though she was reminded that this was Draco Malfoy that had kissed her. For what reason? He hated her…but then again he said he couldn't hate her. Didn't she hate him though? Or did she really only dislike him because of the way he had always treated Ron and Harry? Sure he had called her a mudblood on more than one occasion and he was rude and conceited and a pompous arrogant git most of the time, but if the boys hadn't been part of the equation would he have treated her the same? Would he have left her alone or would he have still tormented her?

So many questions swirled around in her mind as she mumbled the password to the fat lady and the portrait to the common room swung open. It was quiet, seeing as how it was late enough that everyone who wasn't at the party still had probably retired to their rooms. However she was unprepared for the boy sitting next to the fireplace whose eyes locked onto hers immediately as she entered. She eyed him warily not sure how to take his lingering gaze. He patted the couch next to him motioning for her to come sit with him.

"Cormac…listen-" She started to move towards the couch but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I really don't know what came over me. I should never have tried to force myself on you." Cormac interrupted her.

She stood silently at the end of the couch looking down at him. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sit or not. He took her silence as a chance to keep going with his apology.

"I was an absolute prat to treat you the way I did. Obviously had too much punch…even though that is no excuse."

"No it's not." She said softly. He looked down at his hands and Hermione could tell he felt poorly about what he had done. She sat at the end of the couch as far from him and she could and she gave him a small smile.

"I suppose it's a good lesson learned then is it not? Never drink too much punch at a christmas party." She said with a small laugh earning one from him as well.

"I do have to ask though…what is going on with Malfoy? Everyone knows you've befriended Zabini but it's no secret Malfoy hates you, Harry and Ron." Cormac asked seriously.

Draco's words played in her mind again. _As much as I want to…I can't. I can't hate you._ She shook her head and picked imaginary lint from her dress.

"I have no idea honestly. Blaise mentioned something about him being upset he wasn't invited to the party and was planning on crashing. Maybe he's the one who messed with the punch and maybe he had too much of it as well." She lamely offered.

"His father and mine are friends. I know his father is in Azkaban but I'm sure he still has some sort of reach towards Draco. He's been afraid of his father since we were young. I have to admit I already sent an owl off to my father. Wish I hadn't though…I acted in haste. Can deal with Malfoy myself I can. Besides I'm sure his mother wouldn't dream of punishing her pride and joy." Cormac said.

Hermione gave a very unlady like snort in response to this information. "You two were friends when you were younger then? No wonder you don't get along now you're practically the Draco Malfoy of Gryffindor." She said.

Cormac blanched at that and started sputtering about how that wasn't true at all. Hermione waved it off and stared into the fireplace. "It really doesn't matter Cormac. You're a Gryffindor so you have to be loads better than Malfoy in the first place to be sorted here." She had to wonder if some of the Slytherins were to be sorted again if they would end up in Slytherin a second time?

Seeming satisfied with her statement Cormac nodded and agreed. "Well I ought to be headed to bed now. I suggest you do the same Hermione."

But she didn't. Even after he had gone up she never moved off of the couch. Even after Harry and Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindors came back after the party she still stayed curled up on the couch staring into the fire. They were all so out of sorts from the punch at the party that no one noticed the top of her head poking out from the side where she had laid it down on the couch arm.

She fell asleep like that. Soon after her dreams were plagued with fiery snakes and grey eyes.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Reviews=love! Sorry this was extremely short. I will try and work on a good chapter this week but I figured for those of you who have been patiently waiting here was a small snippet for you.


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note:** Thank you to **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , **Alisme** , **dramonie1028** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , and **Grovek26** for your reviews I appreciate the continued support so much from you guys it is most definitely what keeps me going even when it takes me this long to get out a new chapter. Thank you to **Dramionelover26** , **Sakura-n-Syaoran** , **ally123456** , and **padfootsgrl79** for adding the story to your favorites. Also thank you to **Thelostfairytale** , **Dramionelover26** , **aungethiemgmail** , **HarryPGinnyW4eva** , **mesa24** , **Sakura-n-Syaoran** , **ally123456** , **pattign** , **kaykaylala98** , **Bookworm0611** , and **HarrietMitchellx** for following the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

The next day Hermione spent the majority of her time staring at her homework, that wasn't due for another week, and thinking about Draco. The boys were out playing Quidditch and Ginny was off in Hogsmeade with her friends. She had asked Hermione if she had wanted to go with them but Hermione politely refused saying she had too much homework to catch up on. Not being the most believable excuse she could have used, she was thankful that Ginny didn't push her to go.

She was currently sitting at her table in the library, lost in her thoughts when Blaise sat down beside her and startled her.

"You never came back to the party last night…everything ok with you and Draco?" He asked, pulling out his homework and setting it out on the table.

"Everything is fine." She stated simply, like there was no explanation needed for Draco's reason to want to talk to her alone the night before.

He eyed her curiously. "What did Draco want to talk to you about?"

Hermione battled internally with whether or not to tell Blaise of Draco's strange confession or of the kiss. The fact that this was something she was even thinking about puzzled her to no end. If she was being honest she had always thought Draco had been one of the best looking male specimens she had ever laid eyes on. Physically anyways, but his attitude was what had always kept her from being attracted to him. However, now with so many things changing so quickly she didn't know what to think. She had kissed him, his face had been so close to hers and she had reached for him to pull him even closer and it felt more right than she ever thought it would feel wrong. They seemed to melt together in those few moments, like they were made for each other. Just as quickly as it began it had ended though and he was gone. She had felt cold watching him walk away, not responding to her cries for him to stop. Like he was taking all her warmth away with each step.

"Do you feel like Draco has...changed at all this year?" She answered his question with one of her own.

Blaise leaned back in his chair as if contemplating every move he had watched his friend make so far that year.

"Can I be perfectly honest with you Hermione?" He asked her. She nodded in response and set her quill down she had been holding. She turned towards him giving him all her attention feeling as though Blaise was about to start a very serious conversation.

"Draco has had a hard life. I know it doesn't seem like it, spoiled rich prat and all, but at home Draco is just an obedient punching bag for Lucius. He has been all his life. I remember when we were little Draco looked up to his father so much, has so much respect for him, he idolized him then over the years Lucius grew more violent. He tried shaping Draco into a younger version of himself but he showed him no signs of love whatsoever. The only love Draco has ever known is from his Mother. He doesn't know how to process feelings very well. His Mother doted on him when he was younger but as he got older Lucius got more strict with her as well. She wasn't allowed to see him all the time, couldn't comfort him when Lucius had hurt him. Then one night Lucius turned his attentions towards Narcissa. I'll never forget that night, Draco showed up on my doorstep a broken bloody mess. I didn't think he was going to make it through the night but somehow he pulled through. He told me that Lucius had laid hands on Narcissa and Draco had stepped in to defend his mother. He used nonverbal magic to stun his father and get Narcissa out of there. He took her to Professor Snape's and then went back to the manor. He and his father dueled it out and Lucius won. It's a miracle Draco even was able to get himself out of there. He should have gone back to the Professor's house but he didn't want his Mother to see him so he came to my place instead. It was too risky to take him to St. Mungos, no matter what had happened he didn't want it getting out and ruining their name. So he kept silent at my house for a while. Eventually both he and Narcissa went back. Lucius was furious but never laid a hand on her again. Now he's just even more unrelenting when taking things out on Draco. Draco would love nothing more than to be rid of his Father but with the Dark Lord on the rise Lucius is never alone anymore. Even as he sits in Azkaban he's still got his connections."

Hermione felt tears stinging her eyes. How could someone live like that? Day in and day out letting their own Father beat them? It was no wonder he was such a bloody prat all the time. Things started to make sense to her as she thought about the ways he had treated her, Harry and Ron over the years.

"Years of having it beat into you that anyone who isn't Pureblood is beneath you starts to take its toll." Blaise continued. "But with Lucius being away from the manor its given Draco time to clear his thoughts. Look at things from his own point of view. Make his own decisions for once. But it's only a matter of time before Lucius will be back. Who knows what's going to happen then."

Hermione thought about all she had just learned. It made her look at Draco in a whole different way now hearing of his past.

"How have you stayed such good friends with him over the years if your family wants to stay neutral in the war? Surely Lucius has a problem with Draco being friends with anyone other then other Pureblood elitists?" She asked him.

"I'm one of Draco's oldest mates. We've been friends since we were basically born. Lucius thinks Draco can influence his friends to go to the dark side, those of us who aren't on it already."

"If he thinks Draco can influence you then he must believe Draco wants to be a part of the dark side and follow in his steps…make him proud…prove himself to his father by gaining the Dark Lord more followers." Hermione stated more than asked the question.

"Draco is going to do whatever he has to, to ensure the safety of his Mother. I have a feeling Lucius uses her against him to force Draco into doing whatever he wants. If I ever have the displeasure of being in his presence I play my part and get away from him as quickly as I can. Draco is thankful and grateful to have Hogwarts as an escape, even if he doesn't show it. And he's grateful to have people like Weasley to pick on cause it gives him a sense of power he doesn't have at home." Blaise finished with what seemed like a forced chuckle.

Hermione looked down at her parchment sadly as she processed everything in her mind. If there was one thing she was definitely sure of now it was that she felt sorry for Draco. All previous grievances she felt towards him faded away into the background of her mind and all she could feel now was a deep sense of regret for not even attempting to see why he had acted the way he did.

She briefly wondered if she should share this news with Harry, but quickly decided that perhaps right now it wasn't the best idea. She quickly decided that she was going to try and befriend Draco and get past the walls he had created around himself. Voldemort had become who he was partially because he felt alone. Sure Draco had Blaise, Pansy and some of the other Slytherins, but the difference between them and her could make all the difference in whether Draco actually did follow in his father's footsteps. After all, she _was_ a Gryffindor.

* * *

Draco walked along the streets of Hogsmeade slowly taking in his surroundings. He had awoken to a letter from his Mother telling him to meet her at Madam Pudifoot's Tea Shop that afternoon. It was unusual for his Mother to leave the manor, but he had no doubt it had something to do with McLaggen. Now that his father was gone his Mother had to be the one to discipline him when he got out of line. Usually that just meant a slap on the hand accompanied by some sweets. Now that his Mother could freely dote on him without his father around, she did when it was just them at the manor.

His mind kept replaying the kiss with Hermione from the night before. How soft her lips felt against his, how her body felt as if it were meant to be molded to his, how _she_ was the one who had closed the distance between them and initiated the kiss. Never in a million years did he think he would be snogging Hermione Granger of all people in a corridor in the middle of the night.

He had been so lost in the moment that when he heard voices from down the corridor it had snapped him back to reality and he couldn't even bring himself to look at Hermione. He had just walked away as fast as he could without running. What shocked him even more was the fact that she had called out after him trying to get him to stop.

His thoughts were cut short as he entered the tea shop and spotted his Mother. He waved off the hostess that was trying to get his attention and walked towards Narcissa taking a seat across from her. He noted that she had gotten a table near the back of the room that was a little more secluded than the rest of the tables.

"Mother." He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Draco darling, you look well, despite getting into some trouble last night I hear?" She got straight to the point.

"Depends on what you consider trouble." He flashed her a charming smile.

She gave him a stern look before it turned into a knowing smile.

"You know I dislike the McLaggen's just as much as you do Draco darling but I have to ask what Cormac did to deserve you hitting him in the face?"

The way she said it had Draco believing she already knew what had happened. Or at least knew whatever it was that Cormac had told his father.

Draco looked down at the table not sure what to say. He didn't know what his Mother knew so he wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. Narcissa could see that Draco was having a hard time figuring out what to say. Not liking to see her son in any kind of turmoil, especially now that her husband was no longer a constant presence in their lives, she decided to just elaborate on what it was that McLaggen had sent her in his letter.

"The letter expressed that the altercation with Cormac had to do with his date for Professor Slughorn's Christmas party? Something about how you should have minded your own business when it came to Cormac and his date, which was a fellow Gryffindor? You can imagine how surprised I was to hear of you coming to aid of a Gryffindor? A _muggle born_ Gryffindor at that?"

"Merlin Mother was there anything that wasn't in the letter?" Draco was annoyed, more so because his Mother knew he had defended a muggle born and he was sure she was going to be upset at him having done something to tarnish their name.

Narcissa smiled at him a very motherly knowing smile. "The name of the muggleborn girl wasn't in the letter. So I mailed Professor Slughorn to find out who accompanied Cormac to the party. Imagine my surprise when I find out it was Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend."

Draco's blood froze in his veins. He forced himself to meet his Mother's eyes after what seemed like an eternity. He was confused when he saw that instead of the disapproval he was sure was going to be on her face, instead he was met with a genuinely large smile.

"Draco, I'm not your father my love. I don't necessarily disapprove of the same things he does. While I'm not thrilled at your choice of…conquests…it could be worse. While Miss Granger _is_ a muggle born witch Professor Slughorn tells me she's top in almost all of your sixth year classes. Odd choice if you ask me, I thought you despised her."

Draco just stared at her like she had grown another head. If he hadn't just heard it with his own ears he would have never believed what she had just said.

"She's not a conquest I assure you Mother. She's a bossy, know it all, pain in my arse. McLaggen was trying to force himself on her…I did what any respectable man would have done." He turned his attentions back to the menu in his hands.

Across the table Narcissa looked at her son with sympathy in her eyes. She knew that look on his face, she had seen it on her sister's once upon a time. She wondered how long it would take for him to realize that he had fallen for the 'bossy know it all' witch. While she wouldn't be the first choice Narcissa would have picked for her son she certainly wasn't the worst. More than anything all she wanted in life was for her son to be happy. She knew that wasn't going to be possible while her husband was around. With the Dark Lord rising in power now she wasn't sure how much time any of them had left to be happy; while her son's happiness meant more to her than anything maybe the fact that he hadn't figured out his feelings quite yet was better. Not only for his sake, but for Hermione Granger's as well.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Thank you to those of you who push me to continue I appreciate the support so much. The reviews are what keep it going. I was really stuck with this chapter…some of these filler chapters to get to where I know I want to go are hard to write. The support from you guys though help with the creativity flow. To know that there are those of you out there who are enjoying Hermione and Draco's journey in this story means the world. I'm trying so hard to keep the characters IN character haha. It proves to be quite difficult, much more than I ever thought it would be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note:** Thank you to **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , **Envis'sbaby143** , **Frogster** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , and **Grovek26** for the reviews I appreciate them all so much! Thank you to **BelovedEnemy83** , **KatiriaM** , **Liljackandpepsi** , **Topaz Gravestone** , **Larrabee** , **Frogster** , **makordus** , and **Danir2001** for following the story!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

A few days had passed and all Draco could think about was his Mother's words about Hermione. The fact that she had basically said it was ok for him to have feelings for her threw him for a loop. She had always backed his father on everything he had been taught as a child, but never had been the one instilling the lessons. He knew she held their Pureblood to a high standard. He knew if she had a choice she would have him marry a Pureblood. So the fact that she wasn't angry at all about his interaction with Hermione confused him.

He lay awake in his bed tossing and turning over his thoughts. He wasn't tired, even though it was well into the late hours of the night and everyone else in his room was asleep. He had drawn the curtains to the four poster bed and cast a silencing charm so no one could hear him tossing about and in turn he wasn't able to hear the horrible snoring of Crabbe and Goyle.

His thoughts turned towards Hermione and he briefly wondered if she was thinking about him, about the kiss. He knew Blaise had seen her since then but the dark Italian wizard hadn't brought it up with him. Maybe she hadn't told him? Had she told Potter? Even worse Weasley?

Fully awake now Draco sat up in bed and ran a hand through his hair. He got out his bed quietly and dressed in a pair of grey slacks and his school sweater. Grabbing his cloak he left the dungeons and headed towards the Astronomy Tower. It was a clear night and the sky was lit up with stars, the perfect night for watching them while he tried to forget about all of his problems.

* * *

Hermione turned over in her bed again, restless and not able to sleep. All she could think about was Blaise's tale of how Draco had been raised. But it wasn't a tale, it was the cold hard truth. She still hadn't seen him and she had definitely been looking for him for the rest of that day and at dinner in the Great Hall which he had been absent for.

Harry had asked her why she was acting so strange. She wondered if she should share Draco's upbringing with him. They had so much more in common than they realized. She had wondered what it would have been like had Harry taken Draco's hand that first day at school outside the Great Hall. Would Harry have been sorted into Slytherin? Would Harry have been friends with her and Ron at all?

She had opened her mouth to try and find a way to explain everything to Harry when Ron had walked in and sat between them. Apparently Lavender was becoming too much for him to handle. It surprised Hermione that with this revelation she wasn't overwhelmed with relief but instead just felt sympathy for her friend. Just a few months ago she would have been extremely relieved to hear that her friend was growing weary of his girlfriends constant presence, now she found that the romantic feelings she had held towards Ron were gone. There was still a small part of her that was attracted to him but she found an even bigger part of her now held a very different attraction towards a very blonde Slytherin.

These feelings scared her and she wasn't really sure what to do with them. She had made a decision to try and befriend Draco. All Gryffindors knew how important true friendship was and if she could make Draco see that he had people who would be there for him, that he had Blaise and he had her to fall back on, then maybe the decisions that lay before him wouldn't be so hard to make.

She glanced up towards the window between her's and Ginny's beds and saw that the night sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly down on the castle. She got out of bed as quietly as she could and slipped on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Grabbing her black peacoat and her Gryffindor scarf she left the room and without thinking about it headed towards the Astronomy Tower. She hadn't been there since the night her and Draco had fallen asleep but something was telling her to go there. Besides it was the best place to see the stars. Picking out constellations was something her Dad and her did all the time when she was home for the summer. It helped her to calm her mind and ease her thoughts and right now her thoughts were in definite need of some easing.

* * *

Draco was leaning against the wall of the tower staring up at the sky when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned towards the sound and saw that it was none other than the brunette who had been plaguing his thoughts.

Hermione gave a small gasp when she realized that Draco was at the top of the tower looking at her as if he had been expecting her. She stood frozen at the top of the stairs until a small smirk played over his features and she let out the breath that she had been holding.

"We have to quit meeting like this Granger." Draco said as he turned his attentions back to the sky. She noted he moved over slightly, making room for her to stand next to him.

"What are you doing up here so late?" She asked as she came towards him.

"I couldn't sleep." Draco shrugged.

"Me neither." She responded softly. She gazed up at the stars and leaned against the opposite wall of him. The cold breeze bit her skin but within moments a warm feeling rushed over her and she looked at Draco who had obviously cast a non verbal warming spell.

"When did you learn non verbal magic?" She asked him.

It was something she was barely able to do herself, she could still only manage a few spells. Professor Lupin had been teaching her little by little over the summer at Grimmauld Place but with all the distractions and so many people in and out every day she hadn't made that much progress.

Without taking his eyes off the sky he answered her. "Over the summer. I was a quick learner… I had to be." The last part he whispered quietly to himself but she had heard him as clear as if he had said it loudly in her ear.

She looked over to him and uncrossed her arms sitting on the ledge of the window. "Draco, Blaise told me…a little of how you grew up. I-I just want you to know…no matter how difficult life seems, you aren't alone. There are people here who-who care about you. Would help you…if you needed it." She spoke softly, afraid of how he would react. She just wanted to have a normal conversation with him without him running off or yelling at her. She had a feeling any conversation she had with Draco Malfoy would be anything but normal though.

Draco turned to look at her fully and studied her face. Was that worry in her eyes? Or was it pity? He certainly didn't need or want her pity.

"Blaise had no right to tell you anything of my life." He said angrily. He watched the emotions play on her face going from her being startled by his tone, to fear and finally to anger.

"He was just trying to help me understand you better! He's a good friend to you you know! Probably the best you have so you should probably stop treating him like he's one of your lapdogs like Crabbe and Goyle!" She shouted back at him. He was so infuriating!

Her face flushed as she shouted at him and he couldn't help but think that in that moment she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Calm down Granger." His angry tone gone replaced by a softer amused one. "Besides why is it that you think you need to understand me better?"

"I don't know sometimes I wonder that same thing myself." She huffed and crossed her arms again going to lean back against the wall but the ledge was slippery and she had leaned too close to the outside of it and she fell back against the open air.

Before she could even open her mouth to scream Draco had grabbed the front of her jacket and hauled her back towards him, saving her from falling from the tower. She had wrapped her arms around him when the force from him pulling her up caused her to fall into his chest.

She flushed from embarrassment when she realized she was basically hugging him and she removed her arms. He let her go but didn't step away.

"How is it that the brightest witch of our year is always getting herself into situations where she needs saving?" He asked her amusingly.

"Have you met my friends?" She laughed. "We're always putting ourselves in danger. Although I have to say I'm not the one who needs the most saving in those situations."

They both looked at each other silently and finally after what seemed like forever she broke the silence.

"About the kiss…Draco-" She started softly but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry for that. It should have never happened." He said in a rush. His body had stiffened up and he had set his face in a straight unreadable expression.

Hermione searched his face for any kind of emotion but could find nothing but a mask of indifference. She looked down at the ground suddenly finding her shoes most amusing. She felt embarrassed and rejected then suddenly she felt angry and found herself speaking before her mind could register what was happening.

"Maybe it shouldn't have happened but it did! It happened because **I** kissed **YOU** and **YOU** kissed **ME** back! It absolutely should **NOT** have ever happened because _you_ are Draco Malfoy and _I_ am Hermione Granger. We are the last two people in this castle anyone would have ever thought would be in this situation Draco…but here we are. You and I are in this twisted situation where this isn't ok and we both know it, yet here we are again in the Astronomy Tower because when I left my room tonight somewhere deep inside I knew you were going to be here. I can't speak for you, I don't know what is going on inside your head right now, or what was going through it when you came here tonight. All I know is I want you to know that you aren't alone Draco. Because I'm here for you. Because since becoming friends with Blaise I can't seem to get you out of my head." The last few sentences were barely a whisper and she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes.

Draco stood silently taking in everything he had just heard. There were so many emotions going through his head he didn't know how to process it all. He felt elated that she thought about him often and that he plagued her thoughts like she did his. He felt a strange sadness for the girl who he had tormented for years, that she would be willing to be a shoulder to help him out of the mess his life was. He felt angry and frustrated that it was obvious she wasn't going to just go away and he could try and forget all about her, forgetting about everything would be easy if she would just go back to hating him. Finally he felt content, for the first time in his life he felt safe, with her up in the tower with him in that moment. She made him feel like he was untouchable. Because she, a bloody Gryffindor, thought about him so often that it had made her leave the comfort of her room to seek out some sort of comfort in the middle of the night. Comfort that she felt he could give her.

"This is a very bad idea Granger." His voice was firm against the silence in the tower.

She shook her head. "I don't care Draco…I know there is good in you. I've seen it. Maybe they were just the smallest glimpses but they were there." She said.

Draco didn't know what to say to that so he didn't say anything.

Feeling content for the moment that she had gotten to say everything she had wanted to say she turned towards the stairs.

"We should probably head back now. Before Filtch and Mrs. Norris catch us." She started down the stairs and Draco followed her, both silent the whole way down.

Once they had reached the bottom they started their separate ways. Hermione turned back towards him after she had taken a few steps and called out for him to stop. He turned back towards her as she walked back to him briskly. When she was standing right in front of him she looked him right in the eye.

"My name is Hermione. Stop calling me Granger." She commanded. She seemed to pause for a second as if trying to consider something then she stood on her tip toes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Then she was gone.

Draco stood there for a moment before a small smile graced his features then he turned and walked back towards the dungeons.

* * *

Back in the Gryffindor tower Harry couldn't sleep. He had drawn the curtains to his four poster bed and cast "lumos" and was going through his trunk while eating a chocolate frog. He had been looking for the album with the pictures of his parents when the Marauders map fell out from between two of his books. He bent to pick it up from where it had landed but before he folded it to put it back something caught his eye. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes and looked again not sure if he was seeing correctly. There on the map by the entrance to the Astronomy Tower were two dots. They seemed close at first then drifted apart going in separate directions, but then suddenly both stopped and one went back to the other until they were practically one large dot. They stood like this for a few moments until they separated again and went opposite ways. Harry couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. It didn't make any sense. Why would Hermione be out in the middle of the night past curfew with Draco Malfoy?

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Dun dun dun! Drama! Totally inspired again so hopefully this means more frequent updates. I'm thinking 17-18 chapters in all. I've decided that of course the characters are going to be a little OOC. It's a Draco/Hermione story lol. That in itself is OOC. I've read few few stories where the characters stayed true and somehow still ended up together. But they are dark and twisty and sad. While absolutely brilliant that's not what this story is themed. Reviews=all the love!


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note:** Thank you to **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , **marzipan4** , and **Grovek26** for the reviews. Also thank you to **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , **Butterfly-fighter** , **Liger48** , **suzy96** , and **Bangor** for following the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Harry Potter only the ideas for this story.

* * *

Harry waited in the common room the next morning for Hermione to come down and head to breakfast. He had told the rest of their friends to go ahead without them because he needed her to check something on his homework. Buying the very believable excuse, everyone had headed down to the Great Hall, and he was very impatiently waiting for Hermione.

Finally a few minutes later he heard her descending the stairs from the girls room. He stood at the bottom and waited for her to come into sight.

She jumped, startled by him standing there, and gave a small laugh as she clutched her chest over her heart.

"Oh! Harry you nearly gave me a heart attack! Why aren't you down at breakfast?" She asked him, coming down the last few steps.

He just stared at her for a second. His first thought was to yell and scream and demand to know why she was with Malfoy so late at night, but when he finally saw her he found he couldn't really yell at her. So instead he settled for holding up the Marauders map as if to remind her that he had it.

She looked at it, then back at him, then at the map again before realization dawned over her features. "Harry it's not what it looks like."

"Then explain to me what it is if it's not what it looks like." He said sternly.

Hermione sighed and led him over to the couch that was positioned in front of the fireplace. The fire was already lit and gave off a nice warmth compared to the rest of the common room which happened to be quite chilly in the mornings during the winter.

"I tried talking to you about this the other day." Hermione started. Harry quickly interrupted her.

"When did you try to talk to me about this? I don't even know what _this_ is." He cried out frustratingly.

"The other day when Ron came in and sat between us to complain about Lavender! Honestly its like you boys never pay attention to anything I do or say!" Hermione said.

"Well you certainly have my attention now Hermione so start explaining."

Hermione winced under the tone of his voice. But took a deep breath and explained what she had found out about Draco's childhood.

While Harry felt slightly sorry for Draco it still didn't explain why she had been in the Astronomy Tower with him the night before.

"It still doesn't explain last night Hermione."

"Last night I couldn't sleep Harry. So I went for a walk, it was a great night to see the stars so I went to the tower. He just so happened to be there too. That's all it was. It wasn't a secret meeting or anything like that I swear."

Harry looked at her skeptically and didn't speak so she just continued.

"You know that I've been spending a lot of time with Blaise Harry. With the war coming up I just…I don't know I wanted to promote inter house unity. Blaise makes it really easy to like him and some of the other Slytherins really aren't that bad."

Harry snorted at her. "They're in Slytherin that's bad enough."

" **YOU** were almost sorted into Slytherin Harry! You haven't even tried to get to know any of them. Us along with the rest of the school basically damned them the second they were sorted into their house. Do you know that not all of the Slytherins support Voldemort? They aren't all on his side of this war Harry."

"But the Malfoy's are! You know this better than anyone, you were there last year in the Department of Mysteries you saw Lucius there!" Harry argued with her.

"Draco isn't his father Harry! He doesn't want to walk the same path that Lucius has he only needs for someone to give him a chance! To see that someone cares!"

"And I suppose you think that someone just needs to be you? You ever wonder why Blaise kept popping up in the library? They are using you Hermione. They are using you to get to me to try to find things out for Voldemort."

"You sound like Ron." She said.

"Yeah well, for the brightest witch in our year you sound really stupid." As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted it. The look on her face crushed him. She looked as if he had just slapped her. Tears started to appear in her eyes and she stood up from the couch.

"I'm ashamed of you Harry James Potter. Think about how you grew up. It was miserable and lonely being with a family who didn't want you. Imagine if you had had just one friend growing up. Imagine how much better life could have been if you had had a friend to help get you through that incredibly hard time. He grew up with a father who abused him physically and mentally and a mother who kept quiet through it all. He grew up miserable and lonely as well Harry, not to mention scared. He needs to know that he has people who care about him or else he IS going to go down the same path Lucius did. If I can help him see that there is good in the world that he can believe in, show him that he doesn't have to be like his father then I will." She said softly as tears streamed down her face.

"You're being naïve Hermione." Harry told her, the sternness gone from his tone, however still serious.

"No I'm being a Gryffindor." She said. With that she walked out of the common room and left Harry by himself.

Harry put his head in his hands and stared into the fire. He didn't know what to do or what to think. He had always felt strangely about her friendship with Blaise. He didn't know if he could stand the thought of her being friends with Draco too. He still felt like Draco was up to something although he wasn't sure what it was. He was convinced Draco was a Death Eater just like his father was.

He couldn't wrap his mind around why Hermione would want to be helping him. What had he done or said to her to get her to believe him? To trust him? Harry couldn't be sure but he was damn well going to find out what games the Slytherins were playing at.

* * *

Blaise watched as Hermione entered the Great Hall alone, looking as if she had been crying. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was red. She sat at the Gryffindor table with Neville and Luna, odd considering they weren't close to the Weasley's or Potter. Blaise looked around their table and noticed Potter wasn't even there. He had turned towards to Draco to mention Hermione's state when the doors opened again and in walked a very angry looking Potter. He watched in fascination as Harry walked right past Hermione without saying a word, her following him with her eyes that looked like they were now holding a fresh batch of tears. He turned towards Draco again but the blonde beat him to it.

"Looks like they got into a fight." Draco said casually.

"I wonder what he did to make her that upset?" Blaise wondered aloud.

He wondered if their fight had anything to do with them, being himself and Draco. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later. She had been spending a lot of time with him lately and consequently Draco on some occasions as well. She couldn't stand to be around Weasley when he was with Lavender, and he was _always_ with Lavender. Harry was bound to blow up on her about it at some point. Especially if he had suspicions about Draco.

"She probably just realized that he's a bloody moron that uses her for her homework." Draco drawled.

Blaise noticed however that Draco kept looking at Hermione with a look of what he could only describe as sympathy in his eyes. He hadn't pressed Hermione for what had happened after he had left her in the corridor with Draco after the party but he knew whatever had happened it wasn't the usual Hermione and Draco banter. He knew something significant had happened but neither one was wanting to talk about it with him just yet. He could be patient but his patience would only go so far. He didn't like being out of the loop when it came to the unlikely pair. He was beginning to see Hermione as a sort of pseudo sister. He felt protective over her. He had been awake when Draco had snuck into the room late last night wearing a look that passed as content for the young Malfoy and he wondered if it had something to do with Hermione.

He looked back over to the Gryffindor table and tried catching her eye. Call him nosey but he wanted to know what was wrong. It took a bit of time and earned him some odd looks from his fellow housemates but finally she looked over at him. Or at least in his general direction because it was definitely Draco she was looking at. He waved a hand at her and motioned for her to follow him out of the Great Hall when her eyes snapped over to his. She gave a small nod in acknowledgement so he excused himself and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked him.

"To the library. She's going to meet me there if you want to find out what happened." Blaise suggested.

Draco stood not needing to be told twice. He was just as curious as to what had made Hermione so upset. He briefly thought about that night after the Quidditch match where he had found her in the empty stairwell. Sure he had made her cry plenty of times, something he wasn't proud of, but it was just different seeing her upset because of one of her closest friends.

The boys made their way out of the Great Hall and Hermione followed behind about ten minutes later. To anyone else it was just students leaving to get ready for classes. To Harry Potter however, it was a giant problem that he wanted to stop immediately.

* * *

Hermione entered the library and made her way back to the table that her and Blaise often occupied for studying. She had been using this same table for years and it was convenient that it was nestled back in a corner that students didn't usually occupy. She had liked the quiet and the seclusion but when Blaise had started joining her she realized his company hadn't been so bad. Now the table's solitude made it easy for them to be around each other without the stares and whispers from the other students.

Blaise was sitting at the table while Draco was standing against it waiting for her. They both just looked at her as if _she_ had asked _them_ to come.

"You asked me here." She stated shrugging her shoulders.

"Why are you upset?" Blaise asked her.

"It's nothing." She said simply coming to sit at the table.

"My arse its nothing. You can tell you've been crying this morning and Potter looked like he wanted to murder someone." Draco drawled.

Hermione cast him a dirty look. She was frustrated at the situation but deep down she knew it wasn't Draco's fault. She knew Harry had the Marauders map and she should have been more careful. She didn't know if she should tell him that Harry had seen them on the map the previous night. Mostly because he and Blaise didn't know about the map and Hermione wanted to keep it that way. The less people that knew the better.

"He was just upset I came back so late last night." She said quietly looking down at the table.

Blaise tried but failed at stopping the grin that spread across his face.

"Hmmm….someone else came back awfully late to their room last night." He knowingly stated glancing up at Draco.

Draco stiffened against the table. He hadn't thought anyone was awake when he came back to the room.

Hermione glanced between the two boys reading the body language and realizing that Blaise was hinting at her and Draco having been together if they both had came back to their rooms late.

"I couldn't sleep. It just so happened we both decided the Astronomy Tower was a good place to to clear our heads." Draco said.

"Uh huh." Blaise retorted.

"So Potter was upset you came back late? That's what upset you so badly?" Draco asked Hermione.

Both boys looked to her for an explanation but they were only met with silence. For once in her life Hermione really didn't know what to say.

Blaise thought about it for a second before deciding that maybe if he left her with Draco it would be easier for her to talk to just one of them, and seeing how they had been together the night before it seemed highly likely that she would be comfortable talking to Draco.

"Hermione you know I'm here if you ever need or want to talk. But I sense that maybe you two have more to talk about at the moment." He leaned over and gave her a small one armed hug then got up and left.

Her and Draco sat together in silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke first.

"Did you tell him?" He asked her from across the table.

Hermione shook her head no but still couldn't find the words to speak. It wasn't exactly a lie, she hadn't told him anything really except for what Blaise had said about Draco's childhood.

Draco stared at her for a few moments, his features softening as he realized how torn she looked. He scooted closer to her and lifted her chin so she was forced to meet his eyes.

"I don't have to tell you how bad it would be if anyone found out about this. It would be bad for us both Grange-Hermione." He corrected himself when her eyes narrowed at the use of her last name.

"I know you don't want to lie to your friends Hermione. If you don't want to do this I completely understand."

She shook her head at him. "Harry will come around eventually. He just needs to see that you aren't your father Draco. Give him a reason to not doubt you. Then being friends won't be so hard."

Draco froze at the mention of him not being like his father. Whether or not he was as evil as his father he did not like the fact that she was asking him to suck up to Potter. He had nothing to prove to the boy.

His irritation was quickly forgotten as he saw the silent plead in her eyes. She thought everything could be so easily forgiven between the two boys. Years of taunting, of getting each other into trouble, of despising each other; but then he remembered that _she_ had forgiven him that easily. That she had forgiven all the wrong that had ever been done between them and here she was trying to be friends…and for what reason? He didn't have the slightest idea of an answer for that question but realized something else instead. Something that frightened him yet gave him the smallest glimpse of hope at the same time.

He brought his other hand up to cup the other side of Hermione's face, her eyes widening slightly at the gesture.

"I don't care about being friends with Potter. And it isn't a friendship you're going to have to hide." He spoke softly.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she realized just how close their faces were.

"What am I going to have to hide?" She barely whispered.

"Whatever this is." Draco said. A second later his lips found hers.

It was gentle and sweet, unlike the first kiss they had shared which had been rushed and fervent. When they pulled away from each other all Hermione could do was nod.

Unknown to the couple, a pair of eyes watched the scene unfold from behind the bookshelf that Hermione had been leaning against earlier. Blaise chuckled to himself as he turned to actually leave the library. He knew that neither of them were going to come out and admit what was going on so he had to be sneaky and find out on his own. He knew something was unfolding between the pair and he honestly thought it couldn't have come at a better time. Maybe Hermione was just what Draco needed to keep him from making any decisions that could cost him his life in the war to come.

* * *

Another week passed and soon Christmas break was upon them. Harry was still acting coldly towards Hermione which no one else really seemed to catch on to since everyone had been feeling the stress of exams before they all left for the holiday.

Hermione had received a letter from her parents that said they were planning on going away for Christmas to some dentist convention and had asked if she wanted to join or if she had wanted to go to the Burrow with Harry and Ron. She had written back telling them that she would probably just stay at Hogwarts over the break.

She didn't see the reason for going to the Burrow when Harry was barely speaking to her. He had been even more upset when she had followed Blaise and Draco out of the Great Hall, the morning Harry had confronted her, he had known they were going to ask why she was upset. He'd asked her about it that day in class to which she had just said to stop worrying about it. As far as she knew he hadn't told Ron or Ginny anything. But she knew he was probably keeping a close eye on the map for all of them whether they were together or not, he was determined now more than ever to prove that Draco was a Death Eater.

She was sitting on the couch in the common room seeing everyone off. Everyone was gathering their things and saying their goodbye's. Ron and Ginny kept badgering her about why she wasn't coming to spend Christmas with them. Harry actually looked guilty when he gave her a small hug and told her to have a happy Christmas. She had told them that she would be meeting her parents at their convention but that she was leaving a few days later than they all were. She felt horrible lying to her friends again. It was so unlike her to lie and to hide things but _she_ barely understood what was going on between her and Draco, no one else was going to understand a thing.

Her and Draco had seen each other a few more times over that week, whether it had been in the library with Blaise or stolen moments of their own in empty classrooms. She had researched and quickly found a disillusionment charm that must have been working by hiding them from the map whenever they had moments like those.

As soon as everyone had left she headed down to the library where she knew Draco would be waiting for her. Only a few students had stayed for the break and most of them were younger than they were so she knew it would be easier for them to be able to walk around the castle without fear of being seen. It was just harder for the charm to work when they were moving about so they tried to stick to one place.

She smiled as she walked to the library remembering the last time she had seen him. It was just yesterday that they were sitting in an empty classroom talking about an essay that they had to do for Transfiguration. She loved that Draco could match her on an intellectual level. He was incredibly smart.

They had had been debating on whether or not a person would start to show long term effects of the animal they were transforming into if done often enough and if they stayed in animal form long enough. He was arguing that the caster should have been powerful enough to prevent such a thing. She had been arguing the other side of it, thinking back to their third year when it had been revealed that Ron's garden rat had in fact been Wormtail all along. He had spent so much time in the form of Scabbers that he had indeed acquired some of the traits of the rat from what she could tell of the short time in his presence.

She had gotten so riled up while trying to argue her point that she didn't notice that he had quit arguing with her. When she finally realized it he had moved so that he was right in front of her with his hands on either side of her making her lean back in her chair.

"You're beautiful when you're speaking so passionately about something." He had said, then he had kissed her.

That's how most of their stolen moments together had gone. They'd talk about their lives, though never about their futures, and the moments usually ended up with them in an embrace and a small snog.

She pushed the door to the library open and went to find him at their usual table. The more time they spent together the more relaxed he seemed around her. There were times when he was sweet and warm towards her like there had never been any indifference between them at all. Other times he was cold and aloof like he wasn't sure about what they were doing. But he always reassured her in his charming Draco way that if he didn't want to be there in those moments with her he wouldn't be. She wondered which side of him she was going to get today.

He was sitting at the table with an assortment of sweets and various foods with pumpkin juice and butterbeer. When he saw her he smiled a genuine smile and spread his arms open over the table.

"Welcome to our 'everyone is gone for two weeks we can be ourselves without having to hide' feast!" He exclaimed.

She laughed softly. She still hadn't told him about the map so any time she cast the disillusionment spell it was quiet and quick and he had no idea that they were still hiding from one person at least.

"How did you come up with all of this?" She asked him.

"The house elves." He put up his hands as she shot him a warning look. Her stance on the house elves had been on of the many things they had discussed during their stolen moments.

"I asked them nicely and rewarded them for it. Though you know they wouldn't take the payment. For Draco Malfoy they were hesitant but for Hermione Granger they would do anything." He laughed.

"I also stayed out of Dobby's sight so that he didn't ask questions or go running off to Potter."

She smiled a warm smile at him and walked towards the table. He wrapped her in a small hug before they sat down.

"I also may have obliviated them so that they wouldn't remember doing it and so no one would talk to Dobby about it." He quickly said.

"Draco Malfoy!" She playfully smacked him in the arm.

It was going to be a wonderful Christmas.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Reviews = all the love in the world. Just a quick note in the story I know the timeline is a little messed up. I also won't really be touching on Ron being poisoned or Katie getting cursed. Let's just assume the Katie thing happened before Draco and Hermione became close and lets assume the Ron thing didn't happen at all. Not a lot of relevance to THIS story.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:** During the scenes where the music is playing the "haunting melody" the song is Moon Shines Red by Jamie McDell. It's what inspired me to write this, I had this chapter formed before the rest of the story. I always think the scenes unfold best in the imagination when you're listening to the song that was meant to play during it.

Thanks to **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , **Frogster** , and **Grovek26** for reviewing. Thanks to **srkw89** , **brittanyjanee** , **Snowtulip** , **ManyFacesOfGranger** , , **smyers92** , **Asuka Sakura-chan** , **CGinny,** **twilighter256** , **codevivi** and **wishful thinking bibliophile** for following the story. Also thank you to and **RavenOrozco** for adding the story to your favorites.

I would really love to give a special thanks to **xXMizz Alec Volturi,** **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** , and **Grovek26** for continuously reviewing the chapters it really means the world to hear how you liked the chapter and how the story is progressing. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas and what you want to see more of. When this story is done I'll be taking requests so I'm really looking forward to seeing what the reviewers come up with!

 **Frogster** I am so sorry I didn't answer your question sooner but no Draco is not a Veela in this fic. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of those ones but I can totally see how I wrote him that way in that chapter! As for Count the Saints it is totally bittersweet but I promise the tale does go on!

 **Warning: Lemon ahead. Or at least a very poorly written lemon. You've been warned.**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything

* * *

Hermione wondered about the castle book in hand, accompanied by a thermos of hot chocolate, heading towards the main doors of the castle. Today Draco was having what she liked to call a 'Malfoy Meltdown', even though he got annoyed with her for naming it that, so she was spending the day alone catching up on some light reading.

She was bundled in a warm pea coat with matching scarf and earmuffs to keep her warm from the sting of the cold outside. She headed towards the black lake deciding that even though it was cold it was still a beautiful day to be outside. There would plenty of time to sit by the fire later.

Before the lake she had gone to the owlery to drop off some letters and gifts to Ginny, Ron, Harry and even one to Blaise. Even though Harry was still upset with her it didn't mean she had to stop being friendly towards him. She had been to Hogsmeade a few days earlier by herself to escape one of Draco's meltdowns. It had been the perfect opportunity to buy gifts for her friends but also had given her the chance to buy something for Draco as well. She wasn't sure what Draco considered them what with his mood swings and all but she decided that it wouldn't hurt to get him something small for Christmas, after all she did buy Blaise a gift.

Gifts for her friends had been easy, Blaise proved to be a little harder but she had settled on a collection of books based on extremely advanced potions that he had been talking about getting. Draco had been the hardest of all but as soon as she passed Spintwitches it had just clicked. Even though he wasn't playing on the team this year she knew that Draco still loved the game and felt free when he was on his broom. So she had purchased him a kit containing broom polish and other things for keeping his broom in top shape as well as some new Quidditch gloves.

She settled into a space against a giant tree on the banks of the lake after casting a warming charm on herself so she wouldn't get too cold sitting in the snow. She sat with her book in her lap overlooking the lake, briefly thinking back to her fourth year and how she was trapped under its surface for the better part of an hour. Even though it had been treacherous at the time she still thought it held a certain beauty.

Her thoughts drifted to Harry and how much longer he was going to stay mad at her. Eventually she figured he would come around and either see her reasoning or just let her do what she thought was right. She knew it would be hard for him to trust Draco, but Draco hadn't given her any reason to suspect he was a Death Eater. Innocent until proven guilty now had a whole new meaning to her.

Christmas Eve was the following night and Hermione had asked the House Elves to prepare her and Draco something special. She had planned on going to the Room of Requirement to decorate and make it look festive. She wasn't sure how Christmas had been spent at Malfoy Manor but she wanted to try and bring some sort of comfort and cheer to him since he had been feeling so down lately.

Although maybe feeling down wasn't even the best way to describe it. She knew he constantly struggled internally over their newfound connection. He may not have wanted to be like his father when he was older but he had been raised his entire life to hate everything that she was. She knew he didn't hate her, but there were days where he looked like he was going to be sick to his stomach when she approached him before she figured out what kind of day he was having. Times when she would absentmindedly reach for his hand when she was reading and they were lounging next to the fire, where he would snatch his hand from under hers like she had burned him. She was always quick to hide her look of hurt and would make some excuse to go back to her common room. Those days she felt like he was just the old Draco playing games with her, hurting her with his looks of disgust like she wasn't even good enough to be breathing the same air as he was.

But then there were the good days. The days where he would act like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. Where they would walk around the grounds and talk about everything they possibly could. Where he would play with her hair while they read, or when he would lean over and kiss her out of nowhere. The look he would get in his eyes on those days stole her breath away and made her feel things that she had never felt before.

Then came the nights. The nights on the good days when his looks grew darker with passion and longing and they spent countless hours by the fire wrapped in each others arms. He was a very skilled kisser, which was all that they had done but she felt like maybe she was ready for more. The fact that he was so good worried her and for a brief thought she wondered if the rumors were true and if he really had been a playboy throughout the Slytherin house. He had confided in her that he had indeed slept with Pansy a few times the year before but that had been it.

She hadn't been with anyone at all. She had always thought that it would have been Ron that she would lose her virginity to. One of her best friends, she had always assumed it would be clumsy their first time but they would grow to learn each other bodies. Now she was certain it wouldn't be Ron but the blonde haired Slytherin who would steal her innocence.

Innocence. The thoughts she was having about Draco were anything but innocent. The way he made her feel when he was kissing her, his body moving over hers lips against her neck, one hand tangled in her hair and the other roaming over her body, were enough to set her on fire.

She flushed thinking about it. She was almost warm enough to remove her jacket. Guess she really didn't need that warming charm.

* * *

Draco watched her sitting underneath the tree from a safe distance away where he knew she wouldn't see him. He felt horrible leaving her to herself again when they only had so many days together before students started to return. He was having what she called a 'Malfoy Meltdown'. He pretended to be annoyed when she called it that but it actually made him smirk on the inside. How true it was.

He imagined his back and forth mood swings were going to eventually exhaust her and she would tire of what he knew she was assuming were games he was playing with her. However it was far from a game. He knew it was better to distance himself from her on the days where he woke up feeling overwhelmed by all that was happening.

He felt like the war between good and evil had stored itself inside of him. The feelings that were growing for Hermione were currently winning against the dark future that lay ahead. Once he had given in to just accepting that he very much had some sort of feelings for her it was like the sensation of wanting to be a good man for her, to prove that he was good enough for her, had erupted inside of him. There were days where he would give up everything just to be with her always.

Other days he would wake up and often be reminded of who he was and where he came from. Whether it be an article about his father in the Daily Prophet, or something just laying around the Slytherin common room. He knew the way his father had raised him was wrong, but you can't just change ideals that were beaten into you your entire life in one night. On those days sometimes he caught himself hating Hermione. Not for the reasons he had in their previous years at Hogwarts, but for other reasons such as how easily life seemed to go for her. She had a loving family, loving friends. Her best friend was Harry freaking Potter for Merlin's sake! Something he had tried to achieve on their first day at Hogwarts but had been shut down in front of their entire class. The teachers loved her, all except Professor Snape of course.

Sometimes they would be together and he would doze off thinking of these thing, then she would brush his hand with hers and he'd be awakened and reminded of where he was and who he was with and it took him a moment to realize that it was ok. That he didn't have to put up a front with her. But the damage was too quickly done. He saw the hurt in her eyes and she would always leave right after. So he distanced himself from her on the days when he couldn't help but feel apprehension towards her.

Then came the letters from his Mother. She urged him to finish his task of finishing the repairs on the cabinet. Her letters were coded and grew more panicked with each one she sent. Voldemort had apparently taken up residence in the manor. The new man of the house since his father was still locked away. So he had taken time over the break to work more in the Room of Requirement, until Hermione had found him there.

Hermione had followed him there one day, eager to see where he kept sneaking off to, although he knew she had been behind him. When he was sure she had gotten into the room he walked as far away from the cabinet as he could get to a little area that the room had created for him.

It held a fireplace that always had a warm fire going, a lounging chair next to the fireplace, and a grand bed. Grander than he had expected when he thought of needing a place to sleep but the room seemed to think he needed a king sized four poster bed dressed in black satin from the pillowcases to the sheets and accompanied by a large black blanket made of chinchilla fur. He had felt like it was much more than he deserved but the room made the same area every night he spent there. As soon as Hermione had discovered him, the room had conjured up a couch for them to lounge on in front of the fireplace.

When he was having a good day, as Hermione called it, they always ended up in the room in front of the fireplace. Most of the days Hermione had gone to the kitchens to get food for them, which the house elves were all too happy to prepare for her. Then when they were finished with dinner and the conversation had slowed down there had been plenty of snogging.

He knew she was inexperienced so he kept things slow and steady, but the way she made him feel when her body was trapped under his, he didn't want to keep things slow for much longer. He was aching to have her. To make her his, fully and undeniably his.

A small part of him wondered what would happen if she let it get to that point. If she gave him the most intimate part of her what would become of them? As much as he didn't want to admit it, there was a part of him that was scared that once she gave herself to him the rest of him wouldn't want her anymore. That maybe he was battling a different inner version of himself, a version that continued to hate her and brand her as a mudblood, when this version wanted to be happy with her in the time that they had left before his role in the war would come to light and she would never want to see him again.

A dark vision clouded his view of her and he refocused on the eagle owl that was flapping in front of him carrying a small box. He untied the parcel and fished a treat from his pocket for his pet before it flew off.

He had made it into Hogsmeade on one of the days he had spent alone. He had picked up a few things to send to Blaise and Pansy for Christmas and had also met up with the owner of Twilfitt and Tattings to finalize the dress robes he had ordered for his Mother some weeks ago. The owner was all too pleased to meet up with 'the young Mister Malfoy' and continue business as they had for many years with the Malfoy's, even though they had to make the trip to Hogsmeade for him. He had tipped them generously on top of what he owed for the robes and made arrangements for them to be sent to his Mother on Christmas.

He had then headed straight to the Post Office to send out his order request for Hermione's gift to the family jeweler. Examining the small but delicate black rectangle box with small gold intricate carvings he opened it to inspect the gift. A smile found its way onto his face and any doubts or bad feelings he had went away immediately. He put the box in his pocket and took one last look towards Hermione as he turned and made his way back into the castle. For the first time ever Draco was actually looking forward to Christmas.

* * *

Hermione approached the Room of Requirement with Draco's gift in her hands. She had been in the room multiple times over the years but the magic of it still awed her. Sensing what day it was the room had cleared out all of the junk that always seemed to be there when Draco was, and had left only their area with the fireplace. It had added a small but beautiful tree already decorated with red, gold and silver. She gently admired one of the tree's ornaments examining how well their respective house's colors went together.

She placed his gift underneath the tree and rose to go to the couch however something caught her eye that was laying between the branches of the tree. She reached out and picked up the small rectangular box. It had a gold bow on it with a tag that read 'for my lioness' in Draco's elegant handwriting.

Her heart started racing. A box that size usually meant jewelry. The thought of Draco buying her anything let alone jewelry was nerve wracking. She placed the box back in the branches and went to the couch eyeing the bed as went.

She knew that there had been times when Draco had stayed the night in the room. She had always thought he just needed to distance himself from his fellow classmates and she had always wondered why the Room of Requirement. But the room had been kind to Draco so maybe that was what had him coming back to it all the time. The bed was grand dressed in satin and fur. She had laughed when she first saw it. Of course Draco would sleep in satin and fur. He had gotten defensive and reminded her that the room had gifted him the bed, he hadn't chose it.

She heard a noise behind her but before she could turn she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes from behind. She smiled and reached up to put her hands over them.

"Hey." She said softly.

She felt Draco kiss her neck before moving to stand in front of her.

"I have a surprise for you." He said excitingly. He rushed out of the little area for a minute and came back with what looked like an old muggle record player.

"Is that-" Hermione started but he cut her off.

"A record player yes. I charmed it to play anything I wanted it to play."

Hermione smiled. "Where did you find it?" She asked.

"Amidst all the other junk in here." He answered.

Hermione got up to inspect it. It was old and dusty but beautiful at the same time. It still looked to be in great shape. She went to touch it when it sprang to life and started playing music. She looked over to Draco who just smiled at her in return.

They ate dinner by the fire and talked about various things like they normally did. Hermione was pleased to see that Draco was in a good mood tonight. After the table had been magicked away he held out his hand to her. She took it and he swept her into a dance. She listened closely to the music while she studied the smirk on his face. All of a sudden she realized just what they were listening to.

"The Nutcracker?" She questioned.

"This is my favorite part. Where the Mouse King comes back to get his revenge on the Prince of the dolls."

She looked at him incredulously. Her surprise aside, it was actually her favorite song in the ballet. The way the harp played as Clara danced with the Prince in the land of the dolls had always been so beautifully calming to her.

"What? Did you think Tchaikovsky was a muggle? Come on now Hermione you're smarter than that." Draco laughed.

His mother had taken him to see the ballet when he was younger and his dad had been away on business. He would never tell his friends that but since the composer spent a good deal of his life acting as a muggle he knew Hermione would appreciate the gesture.

"My parents took me to see the ballet when I was younger." Hermione exclaimed as he twirled her around.

"I always imagined if I ever had a daughter I would name her Clara." Draco said. He didn't know what had possessed him to tell her that secret. Hermione smiled warmly at him as he drew her closer.

"Do you think you'll get married one day? Have children?" She asked him softly. His smile faltered and his eyes darkened.

"I don't know what my future has planned for me." He replied honestly. They had stopped dancing and were just standing in each others embrace in front of the fire.

Hermione looked up at him sadly. The music from The Nutcracker ended and a haunting melody started playing softly.

"Draco…your future can be what you make it." She said softly.

"I don't want to talk about it." He said leaving her embrace. He walked over to the tree and plucked the small box out from the branches.

"Come here." He beckoned, sitting on the couch. She grinned and went to the tree to grab his gift.

"You open yours first!" She handed him the box that she had wrapped in emerald green wrappings with a silver bow.

"Hermione you didn't have to get me anything." He exclaimed as he tore into the wrappings of the large package.

Hermione laughed as his eyes lit up when he went through the box to uncover all the new things she had gotten him for his broom. When he picked up the Quidditch gloves he looked, to Hermione, like the eleven year old boy she had started her Hogwarts journey with; so happy and carefree.

"Thank you so much." He said, leaning over and kissing her. He placed his stuff back in the box then picked up the small box and held it out to her.

"I wanted to get you something that would make you remember me, no matter what happens." He said solemnly.

She took the box and undid the small gold ribbon on it. When she opened it her eyes widened and she gasped bringing a hand up to cover her mouth.

"Draco it's absolutely breathtaking!" She exclaimed.

He took the box from her and lifted out a necklace. The chain was dainty and was gold melting into silver and alternating all the way through. The pendant was a snake and a lion wrapped around each other forming a heart. The lion was made of gold and the snake of silver. A single ruby and emerald made up the eyes of the pair respectively.

Hermione reached out and gently touched the pendant and the snake sprang to life slithering its way around the lion playfully before settling back into their intertwined heart shape. Tears formed in her eyes.

"I love it!" She exclaimed answering the silent question in his eyes. She pulled her hair up and turned around so that he could fasten it around her neck.

His hands lingered on her shoulders and he leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on her neck. She moved her neck more to the side welcoming his touch. He reached around and pulled her face to his own capturing her lips with his. She moved on the couch so that she was straddling his lap as their kiss deepened.

Hermione moaned into his mouth when she felt his arousal pressing into her lap. Draco broke off the kiss suddenly and pushed himself back into the couch and away from her.

"Hermione we don't have to do this." He said softly. She seemed to contemplate it for the briefest of moments.

"I want to." She whispered. She leaned forward and capture his lips with her own again as he lifted her off the couch and brought her over to the bed.

The satin of the sheets felt cool against her skin and the fur of the blanket was soft and inviting. Draco peeled his shirt off before claiming her lips again and moving her up to the head of the bed. He pulled her crimson blouse off of her while kissing her neck.

She ran her hands up his back and entangled them in his hair. Her lower abdomen tightened sending shivers up her body with every kiss he planted on her neck. He trailed kisses down to her breasts and looked up at her waiting for approval to continue. She nodded and he unhooked her nude lacy bra freeing her ample breasts. He seemed to appraise them before cupping each breast in his hands.

"Merlin you're so fucking beautiful." He breathed against her torso. He took a breast in his mouth and gently sucked running his tongue around her nipple. She arched her back upwards.

"Draco." She moaned in pleasure. He smirked against her breasts. He loved that it was him making her feel this way. That he was the first to make her feel like this, and he would be damn sure she never forgot it.

He reached down and undid the belt on his trousers. She seemed to catch on and helped him push them down before she pulled them the rest of the way off with her foot. She arched her body upwards while he moved back up to her lips, helping him pull her skirt off her.

Just their underwear was all that separated their lower bodies. Draco leaned on his forearms above her and touched his forehead to hers.

"Last chance to stop. I don't think I'll be able to stop if we go any further." He said to her.

She ran her hands down his torso and slipped one underneath his underwear grabbing his length. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.

"Hermione." He warned. She replied by pumping her hand up and down his shaft slowly.

"I don't want to stop Draco." She breathed. She sat up and moved to pull his underwear off, rolling him onto his back. Then she slid off the bed and stood beside it smiling down at him. Slowly she slipped her matching nude lacy cheekies down and stepped out of them. His eyes roamed over her naked body and he reached out for her.

"Come here." He said.

She knelt back on the bed and into his embrace. He laid her on her side with him just barely above her. He ran his hand down the side of her body as he kissed her, bringing his hand between her legs and running his thumb over her clit rubbing her most sensitive spot. It was her turn to suck in a breath. She moved her hips into his hand and laid back into the pillows sinking into their softness while he moved his hand lower, stroking her softly.

"You're so wet." He whispered as he ran a finger up her opening. She moaned and bucked her hips up begging him for more. He leaned down and captured her lips again as he plunged two fingers inside her. She moaned against his mouth and grabbed at his back trying to bring their bodies as close as she could. He pumped his fingers in and out of her while stroking her clit with his thumb at the same time. She could feel how hard he was against her leg and she reached down to grab him.

"I want to feel you inside of me." She whispered in his ear while guiding him to her entrance. Draco didn't have to be told twice.

"It's going to hurt for a second. Let me know when it's ok to keep going." He said gently. She nodded in response feeling grateful with how gentle he was being with her.

Draco slid himself up and down her entrance before pushing himself fully inside her. Her breath caught in her throat and she froze.

"Are you ok?" He asked stroking her cheek. She waited a few seconds but finally nodded giving him the ok to keep going.

He moved slowly out of her so that just his tip was nestled inside her, before pushing himself back in all the way. She was so tight and he had a feeling he wasn't going to last long.

With every thrust her body adjusted to his. Finally a warming sensation took over the small sting of pain. She started to match his thrusts as he picked up the pace. Every time she bucked her hips against his she pushed herself into the pillows. He had never seen a more beautiful sight than that of her lost in ecstasy underneath him.

"Merlin Draco." She moaned. She could feel her muscles tightening against him with every thrust. She looked up at him and smiled reaching for his face. He brought his lips down to hers and he adjusted his body so that he had a deeper angle and he was touching places inside of her she didn't even know existed.

Feeling confident she took Draco by surprise and pushed him over onto his back, never breaking the contact between their bodies, so that she was straddling him.

"Fuck Hermione." He groaned as he tossed his head back. She started moving her hips back and forth leaning back so that he was buried so deep inside of her. The new angle brought him dangerously close.

"Hermione I'm not going to last much longer if you keep doing that." He groaned.

She smirked down at him. "I'm close too Draco." She breathed. She grabbed his hands and ran them up her body to grab her breasts. She threw her head back, her curls bouncing around her face, the light from the fire dancing across her features.

The warm sensation started growing more intense as she rode him, rubbing her clit against the base of him while he was buried so deep inside of her. She started moving faster and his hands found her hips to help her stay on rhythm with his thrusts.

"Draco I'm going to cum." She said breathlessly. As soon as the words left her mouth he felt her muscles tighten over him squeezing his climax out of him. They came together then her body fell forward over his. He moved them so that they were on their sides facing each other.

"You are fucking amazing." He said to her. She smiled and moved to hide her face in the pillows.

"That was amazing. You were amazing. Thank you for being gentle." She said. He drew the blanket up around them and wrapped his arms around her bringing her close to him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and soon her breathing slowed signaling she had fallen asleep. He watched her for what seemed like forever before he fell asleep as well, both wrapped in each other just like her necklace.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Whoo! That was a lot harder than I ever possibly thought it would be. I wrote the lemon scene five times over. It was either too tame or too crude and I didn't want it to be crude and harsh but I wanted it to be not so tame. I hope I didn't disappoint to badly. Please review! I feel like they are definitely dropping off for the amount of views the story is getting :(


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's been so long! I discovered Downton Abbey and have spent all this time watching all of the seasons plus all the Star Wars to catch up with the new movie and to be prepared when the last season comes out on DVD in January.

Thank you to **daniiibabiii** , **marianna79** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , and **TheDarkLadyofSlytherin** for reviewing I very much appreciate it. Thank you to **d3d** , **piripipi26** , **VTesoro** , **IloveToWriteNowAndForever** , **luschaselfridge** , **Mama T** , **ItzelNox** , **mrskw999** , , **IrishMoonPrincess91** , **ElenRoux** , **daniiibabiii** , and **ariadnecho** for following the story. And a huge thank you to **ariadnecho** , **IrishMoonPrincess91** , , **mrskw999** , and **VTesoro** for favoriting the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings. She saw the tree and the fireplace and smiled as she remembered the events from the night before. Stretching against the soft fur of the blanket she felt Draco's arms wrap around her as he nuzzled her hair.

"Happy Christmas." He spoke into her hair as she burrowed her face in his smooth chest.

"Happy Christmas." She responded smiling. The fire had died down overnight and the room was chilly. She burrowed deeper into the blanket and scooted as close as she could to Draco.

"What do you want to do today?" He asked her softly, playing with a curl of her hair. He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"I don't want to get out bed its too cold." She said. He laughed at her and rolled himself on top of her watching as her face grew pink and she looked everywhere but at him.

"Well if you're cold I know just how to warm you up." He smirked and suggestively rose his eyebrows. She laughed with him and reached up to pull him down to her.

That was how they spent the rest of the day and the next week after that. The only time they left was for a few walks around the grounds and a few trips to the library at Hermione's insistence. Students had started slowly making their way back to Hogwarts at the end of the break and finally it was time for classes to resume the following day.

Draco felt like the time had flown by and he was upset with himself for having so many 'Malfoy Meltdowns' at the beginning of the break. The past week had been amazing with no mood swings, interruptions or fights. Hermione had started a few arguments over them having different opinions of certain subjects but one kiss from him had her forgetting all their differences.

He was currently back in the Slytherin common room waiting for Blaise and Pansy to arrive. They had taken the train back along with most of the other students. He was already missing Hermione and wished that they could have stayed in the Room of Requirement for the rest of their lives forgetting everyone and everything else. His thoughts were interrupted when the Slytherin duo came through the common room doors followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Draco! It's so good to see you I swear if I have to listen to these idiots for one more second I'm going to scream." Pansy said while hugging him. Draco winced and gave a pained look to Blaise while awkwardly patting her back with one arm.

"Please don't." He said while moving around her to Blaise.

"Agreed." Blaise laughed with him as they patted each other on the back laughing. Falling back into his old routine wasn't hard for Draco to do. He was genuine friends with Blaise and while he only really tolerated Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, he still felt that this familiarity was the closest home he had away from home. His mind wandered back to Hermione and he wondered how she was getting along now that the rest of the Golden Trio were back.

* * *

Hermione paced nervously back and forth in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry, Ron, and Ginny to arrive. She had exchanged letters with Ron and Ginny over the break but had received nothing from Harry except a short thank you and happy christmas for the gift she had sent him. She was used to Ron and Harry getting into fights where they didn't speak for a while but she wasn't used to being the one on the outs with Harry. She certainly didn't like it.

The portrait door opened and students started filing in. She politely made small talk with most of the students in her year answering their questions of how it was to stay at the school over break alone. They couldn't be further from the truth.

Finally she spotted Ron and Ginny's red hair making their way through the entrance. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she saw Harry come through. They locked eyes almost immediately, his eyes scanning the room looking for her. He smiled at her and she felt a wave of relief settle over her. She rushed to hug her friends and welcome them back. When she got to Harry she hugged him a little tighter than she did the others.

"We need to talk." He whispered in her ear. She nodded softly in understanding.

"I'm not mad anymore though. And I did get you a Christmas gift I just wanted to wait and give it to you in person." He smiled. Hermione laughed hugging him again. She was relieved to hear he was no longer upset with her. That was all that mattered.

Later that night Hermione walked towards the Room of Requirement. She felt much better not having to hide from Harry where she was going. They had been able to talk earlier that afternoon when the others had all gone to lunch. While Harry still didn't trust Draco he trusted her. He didn't like the idea of it at all but he knew that once she had her mind made up there was no talking her out of it. She felt guilty not revealing exactly how far she had become involved with Draco. To Harry's knowledge she was just slowly befriending him. It wasn't like her to lie but for now Harry knew what he needed to know, and she could meet Draco without having to figure out how to hide them from the Marauder's Map.

She rushed into the room searching for Draco. He was sitting on the couch in front of the fire reading a book. She watched him silently for a moment.

"I know you're there." He stated after a few minutes, eyes never leaving the book. She smiled and went to sit with him on the couch. He finished his page and shut the book leaning over to softly kiss her on the lips.

"Hi." She breathed.

"How was meeting back up with Potter?" He smirked at her.

She smiled at him as she got comfortable on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

"He's not angry with me anymore. He still doesn't understand." She trailed off softly.

"Who cares if he understands or not." Draco frowned. Hermione frowned to match his own.

"Draco I care. He's my best friend-"

"And what am I?" He countered.

"What do you want to be?" She softly asked him. He looked back down at the book in his hands, he didn't really know the answer to his own question.

"Can we not fight?" Hermione asked gently. He nodded as she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and just stared into the fire. He felt like he was about to have another meltdown.

* * *

Three months passed and Draco was able to keep his meltdowns under control. He found it was better now that Blaise was back and he had someone to talk to. It was better on Hermione to not be left on her own during those times. They had spent almost every night together in the Room of Requirement until the early hours of the morning where they would slip away to their own rooms. Now that they were no longer hiding from Harry seeing them on the map, Hermione knew Harry wasn't on the lookout for them anymore, it was easier to only have to worry about getting caught together in the halls.

Draco knew if Hermione had it her way they would be together in public but he knew for her safety they had to remain a secret from everyone, except Blaise who somehow knew all their secrets. Blaise was like a girl when it came to Hermione, gossiping with her about everything and anything they found amusing.

They were all at breakfast in the Great Hall. He watched the way she laughed at something the Weasel had said and it made him frown. No matter what happened in the future he would never come to like the red headed boy who once had held Hermione's heart even though he never knew it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the owls coming in with the mail. He spotted his Mother's owl coming towards him dropping a letter on the table. He frowned. He hadn't received a letter from his Mother in a few weeks. Her letters were still coded urging him to finish his mission. Every time he got a letter from her he had come to expect the urgent pleas for him to finish fixing the cabinet. He opened it begrudgingly and skimmed over its contents.

Blaise nudged him as he stared at the letter. He barely noticed however as he was too busy reading the letter over and over again. It seemed his Mother wanted to meet him in Hogsmeade that weekend. She hadn't been to see him since the last time they had met for tea like they usually did whenever she came to visit, however this time she was asking him to meet her at Hog's Head pub. The letter told him which room to go to which he found extremely odd. It was very unlike her to be asking to meet him so secretively.

Blaise nudged him again hard enough to startle him out of his thoughts.

"Everything ok mate?" Blaise asked. Draco nodded and put the letter away in his robes.

"Everything's just fine." He said. He looked up towards Hermione again to find her watching him intently. He forced a smile on his face and was relieved to see her smile back at him in return. He didn't want to worry her. He didn't want her to know that he was worried.

* * *

From the moment Draco stepped into the pub he felt like something was off. He'd never really liked this particular pub always preferring Madame Rosmerta's instead. But ever since the incident earlier in the year with Katie Bell he had steered clear of Madame Rosmerta.

The pub was dingy and dark and there weren't many people inside so he quickly made his way through and up the stairs to the room his Mother had told him to meet her in. He knocked twice but got no reply so he opened the door figuring he would wait for her inside. As soon as he opened it however, he knew that there was something terribly wrong.

The blood in his veins grew cold as he locked eyes with the disheveled figure of his father. The door slammed shut behind him and he realized they weren't alone, there had to have been at least five Death Eaters there with them in the small room.

"Draco how nice it is to see you." Lucius drawled. Draco struggled to find his voice. He knew he looked frightened and it took him a few seconds but he composed himself and settled the mask he wore so well of the cold boy he once was.

"Father." He acknowledged. "I see your Master has finally found a way to release you from Azkaban."

" **OUR** Master has been gracious enough to free me. Only for me to find out that **_you_** are failing miserably and bringing dishonor to our family!" Lucius snarled.

Draco cursed inwardly at his slip up. He opened his mouth to respond when he was grabbed roughly from behind by two of the Death Eaters.

"I think it's time you've finished your mission Draco. But before you return to Hogwarts our Master has made sure that you leave with a reminder of who you serve and where your loyalties lay." Lucius grinned maniacally as the remaining Death Eaters closed in on them. Draco had never felt more scared in his life but kept his face stoic. Even as his arm began to burn so badly he thought it might melt away. Even as the screams threatened to tear from his throat. Even as his father laughed as his body wriggled in pain. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

* * *

Draco nursed his arm back in the Room of Requirement. He had managed to slip back into the castle and remain unseen making his way up to the room. His arm burned, the Dark Mark bright on the flesh of his forearm. He would have to use a concealment charm to keep it hidden from everyone. He had been so foolish to think that he could have escaped his inevitable future. He should have known something was wrong when his Mother asked him to meet her at the pub instead of at the tea shop. His father must have Imperio'd her to write him the letter for it _had_ been in her elegant handwriting. He worried what had happened to her but knew now that there was no way of him knowing if the words exchanged between them were real or cursed.

As soon as he had the concealment charm in place he threw his shirt and sweater back on and headed down to the Great Hall. He had been missing all day and he knew he was going to have some explaining to do to Hermione.

It seemed his luck had run out and today was just turning out to not be the greatest of days for him. He stepped into the Great Hall keeping his head down. He longed to cradle his arm but kept his fists clenched at his sides. He heard whispers all around the Hall and feeling guilty about the days events he felt like they were all about him. He raised his head to glare at some first years when he realized where they were looking. At the front of the Great Hall stood Katie Bell talking to Potter. He noticed Hermione was sitting next to the Weaselette a few seats down watching the exchange with interest.

He had frozen where he stood and couldn't seem to make his feet move. He touched his arm subconsciously and looked away when Potter looked around Katie and had locked eyes with him. The blood ran cold in his veins for the millionth time that day it seemed. He started backing up towards the door and when Potter pushed past Katie he turned and walked away as fast as he could. He could have sworn he heard Hermione yell after Harry in confusion.

Hoping she hadn't seen him he walked quickly towards the girls bathroom that held the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. He had learned all about it year before from his father and had found solace in the empty bathroom on one or two occasions earlier that year. Knowing that it was never occupied, except by Moaning Myrtle, he went straight for the sink to splash water on his face. His breathing was labored and the Dark Mark on his arm burned horribly.

He pulled his sweater off over his head and splashed more water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and for the first time in his life he felt sorry for himself. He had been tasked with an impossible mission. His father had made it clear to him that either he would die or they would kill his Mother. He couldn't believe that his father would stoop so low as to threaten his own Wife. Then again nothing his father did seemed to surprise him anymore.

He saw a movement in the mirror and looked up to see Potter standing behind him. He thought maybe for a moment he was going to simply try and talk to him. Something Draco wasn't exactly sure he would mind at that particular moment. But a split second later it looked like Potter was raising his wand towards him but it was as if his body had a mind of its own and Draco threw a spell at him first. His mind screamed at him to stop, to think of Hermione. But there was no time and before he knew it they were throwing spells back and forth at each other in the middle of the bathroom.

He tried to yell at Potter to stop so he could just talk to him but he found his pride wouldn't let him. Potter was a fool to think he could just follow him and starting casting spells at him. Hermione's best friend or not he had no right. Just the thought of it made Draco angry and he threw a Crucio towards the other boy. He saw him dodge the spell and throw one back at him he had never heard before. That was the last thing he remembered before he felt excruciating pain and everything went black.

* * *

Hermione paced the common room back and forth waiting for Harry to return. Ginny and Ron sat by the fireplace talking quietly. They had all watched Harry storm off after speaking with Katie but none of them knew why. They hadn't seen what he had been chasing after but Hermione felt like she had a pretty good idea. She hadn't seen Draco all day and even Blaise hadn't known where he had gone off to. She had searched the Room of Requirement and the Astronomy Tower while Blaise had looked at the Quidditch pitch and around the Black Lake. Neither being successful in their search. But she just had this feeling that when Harry had run out of the Great Hall it had something to do with Draco.

What seemed like hours later she was about to leave to look again when Harry finally stepped through the portrait looking as pale as a ghost. She rushed over to him quickly and led him over to the couch.

"Where have you been Harry?! What had you running out the Great Hall earlier? Was it something Katie said? Something she remembered?" She bombarded him with questions.

Harry looked into her eyes and saw her worry. Her worry for Draco and it made him feel like a horrible person. He recounted everything to her, Ginny and Ron. Hermione looked like she was going to throw up. Thankfully Ginny and Ron were paying attention to him and not her.

"You have to get rid of it." She sternly said. He nodded in agreement, Ginny and Ron voicing their agreement as well. He squeezed her hand but she pulled away from him. Tears threatening to fall down her face.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She had a bad feeling all day that something bad had happened to Draco but she couldn't fathom what Harry had told them. That he had used a spell he had found in that cursed potions book of his without knowing what it did. What if Snape couldn't heal Draco? What if he was seriously hurt or worse...dead?

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Reviews = the loveliest of loves!


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors Note:** Following this chapter would be my one shot **Count the Saints**. I don't want people to get confused but I wrote that story before I started this one. It was what inspired me to write this. So the next time this gets updated it will be a epilogue of sorts. If you don't want to be confused I suggest reading that after finishing this chapter and of course please review that as well.

Thank you to **PAULA FOREVER** , **gahmeep** , **littlexsiren** , **mcollis3** , **Jules-Millicent** and **PetraAmia** for following the story. Thank you to **Grovek26** , **srkw89** , **Jules-Millicent** and **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** for the reviews. Thank you to **littlexsiren** , **mcollis3** , **Sadler26** , and **MyFlutteringWings** for adding the story to their Favorites.

Special thank you's to those of you who have added me to their Favorite Authors list or have Followed me as an author I very much appreciate it.

 **Srkw89** thank you so much for your review it literally made my day when I read it. I promise to try and not make you wait so long for updates :)

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

* * *

Hermione walked into the infirmary, book bag in hand, and walked to the very back of the room where a curtain had been drawn around one of the beds. Pulling it back just enough to slip in, she was met with a tired smile from Blaise who hadn't really left Draco's bedside since Professor Snape had brought him in a little over a week ago. She set her stuff down on the other side and went to hug Blaise.

"How is he today?" She asked.

"Nothing has changed. I could kill Potter, really I could. I don't care who he is, how stupid could you be to use a spell you knew nothing about? And I still don't understand why they were dueling anyways." Blaise spat.

Hermione winced at the mention of killing Harry, she was still just as upset as she was when all this happened nine days ago, but she didn't wish her friend any harm for it. She was just as curious as Blaise as to why they had been fighting, but she hadn't really had a real conversation with Harry since they discussed getting rid of the book, and Draco had been unconscious since Snape had found him.

She knew Snape had been able to reverse the spell Harry had used but Draco had never woken up after passing out. They had kept him closely monitored in the infirmary since then but his condition hadn't improved or worsened. It was as if he was simply sleeping.

"Madame Pomfrey has been going on about notifying his Mother but both Snape and Dumbledore agreed that it was best to keep it quiet for now." Blaise said. Hermione looked at him oddly and leaned forward in her chair resting her forearms on the edge of Draco's bed.

"Dumbledore was here? And why has his Mother not be been notified?! Someone should have sent her an owl the moment he didn't wake up!" Hermione exclaimed. Blaise shook his head and shrugged.

"Apparently no one has. I don't think Dumbledore and Snape knew I was here when they were talking to Madame Pomfrey about it earlier."

"Why didn't you send her one? Aren't your families really close?" Hermione questioned. Blaise shook his head.

"Draco and I are close but not our families. Mine never took a side in the war in the past and don't intend to take a side in this one. Lucius never wanted Draco and I hanging out after that was made very apparent."

Hermione sat back in her chair and rested her head on her hands. She looked over Blaise who was slumped down in his chair, clothes disheveled, hair a mess. It looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"You really should go get some sleep Blaise. I'll watch over him. Take a shower and get something to eat and take a nice long nap. I won't leave until you come back." Hermione urged him to go. Blaise didn't need to be told twice.

"If anything changes at all let me know." He said. Hermione nodded. He paused at the opening of the curtain and looked back at her with a sad look on his face.

"I don't know if I should owl his Mother Hermione. I have a bad feeling something has happened at the Manor." His eyes made their way from her face over to Draco's arm.

Hermione followed his eyes and nodded softly. She understood what he was getting at but she couldn't bring herself to look. The day everything had happened, Draco had been missing up until then. A student had come forward saying he thought he saw him in Hogsmeade earlier in the day but couldn't be sure it was actually him. She had the same bad feeling Blaise had but still…she wasn't ready to know if Draco had finally chosen a side in the war.

* * *

Later that night Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room once Blaise had come back to the infirmary. They had been taking turns sitting alone or together with Draco every day. Pansy had come to visit a few times but hadn't stayed long.

The common room was empty, most students having gone up to their rooms already. A movement next to the fireplace startled her but she relaxed when she noticed it was just Harry.

"How is he?" He asked softly. Hermione frowned but noticed that Harry looked just as tired and disheveled as Blaise had earlier. She dropped her book bag at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the girls rooms and walked over to join him in front of the fireplace.

"Nothing has changed. He's still….sleeping." She said softly. Harry nodded and looked into the fire.

"Can I ask you a question Hermione?" When she was silent he continued. "Is there something more serious going on between you and Malfoy?"

She felt him staring at her, studying her to see if her body language gave anything away. She took a deep breath and contemplated telling him everything. But she felt like she would be betraying Draco by telling Harry everything without at least telling him she was going to.

"We've grown closer. He's not who you think he is. There's so much good in him Harry. He just needs help seeing it himself." She didn't elaborate more than that. She looked over at him and watched as the thought of Draco being good processed through his mind. Unlike her, Harry was never very good at keeping his emotions off his face.

"If he figured it out and he decided that he didn't want to walk the same path as his father would you accept him?" She didn't know what possessed her to ask him but she had asked and was curious for his answer.

Harry had always been a compassionate boy but as they grew older she had noticed he'd hardened. She couldn't blame him what with all he had been through, but she didn't want to see her friend lost to all the pain and suffering his life had brought him. She felt guilty in that moment even asking if he would accept Draco. She felt that maybe she hadn't been there as much as she should have been for her friend over the past year. It seemed this year had been hard the friendship between the Golden Trio. Ron had always been off with Lavender, Harry had been spending a lot of time with Dumbledore and she had spent more and more time with Draco.

"I really don't know Hermione." Harry shook his head. "I just don't believe there is any ounce of good in him. I know you think that he just needs someone to be friendly towards him and he's going to turn into this cheery, happy, helpful Malfoy but I just can't see it."

"All I'm asking you to do is give him a chance!" Hermione bristled. She felt tears forming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "Give him a chance Harry James Potter! I think you can do that much! He's lost he needs some guidance."

"And Blaise? His family isn't taking a side in the war right? Why can't he give him guidance?" Harry stared at her.

Hermione didn't know how to respond to that. She just shook her head and stared into the fire. She felt Harry reach for her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. With that simple gesture the tears that had threatened to fall rolled freely down her face. She cried silently for what seemed like forever before Harry spoke again.

"If it means that much to you Hermione I'll give him a chance." He said softly.

Hermione didn't know if his exclamation made her cry more because she was happy he would try for her…or because deep down she still wasn't entirely sure herself that was the right decision.

* * *

A few days later found her sitting next to Draco's bed quietly doing her homework when a movement startled her. She stared at Draco's body for a minute and then convinced herself she had just imagined it. She went back to her homework then jumped up when she saw his hand twitch.

"Draco! Draco can you hear me?!" She cried. She watched as the movement went from his hands up his body and finally he opened his eyes. "Madame Pomfrey!" She yelled. He blinked his eyes at her a few times while Madame Pomfrey threw open the curtains and ran to the bedside. She quickly ushered Hermione out of the curtained area and told her to owl Dumbledore and Snape. She rushed over to the medical owls and send out a quick note to both Professors before sending one out to Blaise as well.

Blaise had arrived before either Professor but they hadn't been too far behind him. A few hours later they had been allowed in to see him after the Professors had talked to him about the accident. Hermione was relieved to hear that Draco wasn't going to push for Harry to get in any serious trouble.

She was currently sitting on the side of his bed holding his hand, Blaise sitting in a chair next to them. She had waited to rush to his side until the Professors had left the infirmary. Snape had been curious as to why she had spent so much time at Draco's side and Blaise hadn't given him any answers. They knew that if any news about her and Draco got into the wrong hands it could potentially be dangerous for both of them.

"Blaise do you mind giving me a minute?" Hermione asked. Blaise nodded and left them alone saying he would be back in a little bit and that he would go update Pansy and the others.

Draco reached up and cupped her cheek pulling her down for a small kiss.

"I was so worried about you." She said.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I was out for that long."

"Harry is sorry you know. We talked about things." She looked at him to gage his reaction but he kept his face neutral so she continued. "Draco when it comes time…Harry would give you a chan-"

"I don't need Potter to pity me Hermione. I'm capable of making my own choices." He sternly said. She looked taken aback and shook her head at him.

"Draco I didn't mean-"

"Did you tell him about us?" He demanded.

"No I just said that we were friends." She said.

He nodded in acceptance and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. After what seemed like forever he sucked in a sharp breath. His forearm started burning badly. Somehow his concealment charm had held in place over the few weeks he had been unconscious and he wasn't going to waste that by grabbing his arm. He clenched the bed sheets underneath him and grit his teeth together all of which didn't go unnoticed be Hermione.

"Is something wrong? Can I do something?" She asked worriedly. He shook his head at her.

"I think I just want to be alone for a little while." He said. A hurt look crossed her face but she nodded and left him, heading back to her common room.

As soon as she was gone he unclenched his fists and grabbed his arm. He uttered a spell and the concealment charm fell away revealing the Dark Mark still bright and new on his skin. The snake was wiggling around and the whole Mark seemed to be moving making him feel like his arm was being held over a fire. He broke out in a sweat and grabbed the water glass that was on the table by his bed. After he downed three glasses he leaned back on the pillows and took deep breaths. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as the burning finally subsided on his arm.

He couldn't have been asleep for more than thirty minutes when Blaise came back. He tried sneaking in quietly but Blaise was anything but quiet. Draco opened his eyes and glared at him but it was quickly wiped away when he followed Blaise's eyes to his arm. He had fallen asleep and forgotten to cast the concealment charm again. He moved his arm underneath the blanket and looked down sheepishly.

"Does she know?" Blaise asked. Draco shook his head. Blaise sighed and sunk into the chair next to the bed. "When?" He simply asked.

"The morning of the accident. It's why no one could find me. I received an owl to meet Mother in Hogsmeade only she wasn't there. My father has escaped from Azkaban." He saw Blaise visibly flinch at this exclamation.

"You know Potter told her he would try and accept you if you decided to fight for them." Blaise said. Draco shook his head again.

"He's going to kill her."

"Who is going to kill who?" Blaise asked alarmed.

"Voldemort. Father told me he's threatened to kill my Mother if I don't complete my task for them as soon as possible."

"What's the mission?"

"It's finished. I haven't told them I finished it but it's been finished." Draco answered.

"That doesn't answer my question Draco."

"I don't have an answer for your question Blaise. Just promise me one thing. Promise me you'll get Hermione out of here safely."

Blaise' eyes widened and after a moment of shock he nodded his head in agreement. He wouldn't push him but he also wasn't letting him off that easy.

"Tell me what you can Draco." He said. Draco nodded his head and told him what he could. He trusted Blaise and he knew the information was safe with him. He knew he could trust him to protect Hermione when she was going to be stubborn and do something foolish with her friends like they always did. Like he knew they would as soon as his mission was completed.

* * *

Later that night Hermione was walking back to the infirmary. She didn't like the way things had ended earlier that day with Draco. He had just waken up from over two weeks of being unconscious and already they were fighting. She didn't like it at all.

Harry had left earlier in the evening with Dumbledore. She wasn't sure where they were going but Harry said they wouldn't be back until later that night. Blaise had sent her an owl telling her he wanted to talk but she had replied and said they could tomorrow. Tonight she wanted to make things right with Draco.

When she got there however she was surprised to see that Draco was no where to be found. It was too late to bother Madame Pomfrey so she set off to go find him on her own.

* * *

Draco walked through the halls being careful to not be caught by anyone. His arm burned again this time with a message that tonight was to be the night he fulfilled his mission. He struggled with the knowledge that he wouldn't have time to say goodbye to Hermione. He couldn't bare to see the look on her face when she found out what he had done.

He made his way up to the Astronomy Tower. He still had some time and he wanted to spend one last moment in the place where it had all started. He stared up at the night sky and took a deep breath. There was no turning back now.

He seemed to be lost in his thoughts for an eternity before he heard a noise behind him. He didn't have to turn and look to know it was her but he did anyways. She was frozen at the top of the stairs just staring at him.

"What on earth are you doing out of bed Draco?" She asked. She made a move to walk towards him but he backed up against the wall, his movement away from her made her stop her advancement.

"Hermione you need to leave." He said solidly. Her confused look made him want to reach out to her and hold her. Tell her everything would be ok…but he knew it wouldn't be.

"We can't be together any longer Hermione. We don't belong together. Nothing will ever change that." The look on her face broke his heart. Tears started falling down her face and his hands itched to wipe them away. Everything in him screamed 'it's a lie' but he knew for her safety and for his Mother's this is what he had to do. He had to break her heart.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Bittersweet. Now to start the epilogues. Remember **Count the Saints** comes after this chapter and it's already out so please read and review that story as well.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note** : Check Authors Note at the bottom for some exciting news!

The most sincerest apology to **srkw89** for not getting this chapter out before Christmas like I said I would try my hardest to. There's no excuse except life just got too busy before the Holiday.

Thank you to **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** and **Grovek26** for reviewing the last chapter. Thank you to **Chantal9** , **SableBeaut** , and **enchanted16** for adding the story to your favorites. Thank you to **Chantal9** , **SableBeaut** , **Carvertown** , **zanetkakiss** , **lexicon63738** , **monicasa1991** , and **marielinot07** for following the story.

A very special thank you for those of you who read the companion story Count the Saints. Thank you **enchanted16** , **Liljackandpepsi** , **srkw89** , **ItzelNox** , and **Grovek26** for either favoriting, following or reviewing Count the Saints. It means a lot that you guys appreciated the idea that started all of this.

 **Now onto the beginning of the end. For the stories sake the war did not take as long as it did. From the time the last chapter ended to the end of the war took about three months.**

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

I remember the first time I ever met her. Bossy, know it all, little brat who thought she was better than everyone else because she was so smart. I didn't like her much at first but by the end of the year she grew on me.

Over the years our friendship grew, and at one point I even loved her. Although I wasn't really aware of that fact until after I had royally screwed things up. It hurt, for a while, but eventually I got over it as did she and we were able to be friends again. But it was never the same.

She was detached from us. Always occupied by that Slytherin, Blaise. I don't know how or when it happened, but it was like she could care less about us and all she did care about was him. Always meeting up in the library for study sessions, even walking with him down to the Quidditch pitch for games. Granted I was occupied a lot during the year as was the other part of our trio. I guess she was just lonely.

She was really happy, I mean the happiest I think I had ever seen her when we got back from Christmas holiday. I didn't know what had been so special about being at the school alone. I couldn't believe she had chosen not to go to the Burrow when her parents went on vacation. It seemed only natural that she would have gone to the Burrow with us. But Ginny had thought that maybe something was going on between her and Harry, like they gotten into a fight or something. So we didn't push her to come spend Christmas with us. I know Blaise had gone home for Christmas so it couldn't have been him that was making her so happy. It went on for a few months, then suddenly she was no longer happy. Looking back now I guess she was upset after Harry had cursed Draco but after the attack happened on the school she just went into a downward spiral.

She became severely depressed. I thought it had to do with the death of Dumbledore, but as time went on and we continued to search for the horcuxes it got to the point where she was making herself sick and even Harry wasn't taking it that hard. I remember those days vividly, she wouldn't keep down anything she ate and she just always looked like she about ready to cry. She was exhausted. Now I know that while Dumbledore's death upset her greatly, it wasn't the reason for her behavior.

When we were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor I thought she was going to die. She was pale and distraught when she learned of where the Snatchers were going to take us. To everyone's surprise when we got there the older Malfoy's made Draco try and identify us and he had lied about not knowing who we were. He had looked absolutely terrified and sickly himself. We weren't sure if he was going to give us away or not, but then he saw her and instantly was saying he wasn't sure. I had always found it odd then but had pushed it away to think about at a different time. Now I wish I didn't have to think about it at all.

Harry had told me about that night in the Astronomy Tower. We know it wasn't Draco who killed Dumbledore but Snape instead. Knowing what we know now about our former Professor I don't think Harry would have ran after him and tried to curse him. Harry had told us both that Draco lowered his wand. That he couldn't do it. But that he was bearing the Dark Mark and that he had chosen a side in the war. He told us the same night of Dumbledore's death. The same night she broke into a million tiny pieces. And I never put two and two together.

When they threw Harry and I in the dungeons at the Manor I could have sworn I heard her cast a protective charm over herself as we were being dragged off, but it was one I had never heard of. What exactly it protected I don't know, or perhaps who it protected. We could hear her screams and it was enough to drive me absolutely mad with the frustration of not being able to protect her.

Ever the fighter though she made it through with a nasty scar on her arm, but after the war a Healer at St. Mungo's had managed to magic most of it away so it was pale and barely noticeable. After the Manor the rest of the war seemed to go fairly quick. Harry won and everything was finally at peace. Or so I thought. I didn't realize it was only the beginning of another problem for us all.

She disappeared right after the war was won. Gone in the middle of the night about a week later. No letter, no explanation of why she left or where she had gone. It was as if she never existed, gone without a trace. But that's Hermione for you, always so clever.

We searched everywhere for her. Used every contact we could in the Ministry. How could one of the Golden Trio just disappear like that? Her face was splashed across every paper, her name on everyone's lips. War hero…vanished?

Then my whole world was turned upside down. The Malfoy's stood trial and while Lucius was sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban, Narcissa and Draco were set free. Sure there had been a stain on the Malfoy name but in time that would quickly be turned around. I have to admit now that Narcissa really isn't that bad.

When Draco had been released the first thing he did shocked us all. He went straight to Harry. When Harry agreed to meet him and talk with him I was so confused. We hated Draco…sure he had helped us at the Manor but we still hated the ferret. But then all of a sudden Harry didn't. He was almost sympathetic towards him. I had to find out why so I followed them even though Harry had told me I would understand in my own time. And the things I overheard them talking about made me sick to my stomach and haunted me for a long long time.

That was a few years ago. I still don't understand. I don't want to understand. Over the years Harry and Draco have become somewhat friends. But I can't be his friend. I still feel betrayed all these years later. How could she? She betrayed us for **him**? And for what? He still chose the dark side. He chose to leave her. She trusted him, according to Harry, and he just left her. What had she been thinking?

I don't think I will ever be able to be friendly towards him. Everyone else has seemed to be able to forget about how he was such an awful prat in school, but I never will. I'll never forget how he taunted me and made fun of my family, how he made fun of _her_. I don't understand how she could have ever saw past all of that to anything good.

But I will admit he's spent an awful lot of money trying to find her. Trying to find her and Blaise. Blaise never picked a side in the war. He disappeared at the end of the year and no one has seen him since either. Rumors were thick that they had run off together, but few of us know that couldn't possibly be true. Even though they were close our last year in school, according to Harry and Draco their friendship never was more than just that of friends. It pissed Draco off to even think about it, which I have to admit was a sight to see.

He had gone to Italy where Blaise had been "sighted" but he never found him. To see him so worked up over Hermione of all people…is just so damn confusing. I have never liked Draco Malfoy and I never will. Harry says I'm too hard on him. He says if I just try to get to know him then I'll realize that a lot of my hate is misplaced. But I guess just as he was raised to see me in a certain light, I was raised the same. I'll admit he must really care about her. I hate to admit it but I do believe it.

Lavender has a hard time with my brooding and my actions towards Draco. I tell her I'm sorry quite often but I'll never give up on trying to find my best friend, even if I can't understand the relationship or whatever it is she has with him. But Lavender just shakes her head and tells me that "a good wife understands when her Husband is going through a difficult time and she stands by him no matter what." She's a good woman. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve her.

The familiar sight of Draco's Eagle Owl comes into view and I can only assume it's a message for Harry. Harry's been at the Burrow most of the time with Ginny. Once his old home is rebuilt in Godric's Hollow they'll be moving in there, just in time for the birth of their second boy. I get up to follow the Owl to the Burrow where the girls are getting family dinner ready.

Steps away from the door I stop as Harry emerges with the letter in hand, eyes wide. I read the short letter in Draco's script. I drop the letter.

Merlin's Beard.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I'm really excited to announce that I was invited to check out a contest on Inkitt so I made a profile and entered Count the Saints into it. I would love for you guys to **PLEASE** go vote for it! Thank you all so much for your continued love and support and don't forget to **review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note** : Thank you to **redScate** , **HarryPotterIsLife1221** , **Girl-with-the-head-in-the-sky** , **Elizabeth Tym** , **AvaaLiceigOfera83** , **CasuallyLazyKitten** , **kvance** , **AnaBrest15** , and **uicchi** for following the story. Thank you to **AnaBrest15** , **CasuallyLazyKitten** , , and **Cbyard414** for favoriting the story. And a very special thank you to **Grovek26** , **kvance** , and **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** for reviewing.

 **Please remember to go vote for Count the Saints on Inkitt**. It would mean the absolute world to me.

 **Disclaimer** : I own nothing

* * *

She never got on my nerves as much as she did Ron's the first time we met her. It took him a while to warm up to her but I thought she was brilliant. It didn't take long for her to find her way into our group of friends and soon after we had been dubbed 'The Golden Trio.' I always thought of her as a sister.

Growing up was just one big constant problem for us. Always getting into trouble, always running off to save the day. There was never any time for any extra problems as it seemed Voldemort soon became their problem just as much as mine. But as we grew older it seemed life finally threw some of their own problems at them and I never realized just how selfish I was until I looked back. Maybe if I had been there for her to have a shoulder to lean on nothing that did happen would have ever happened.

When she befriended Blaise we felt betrayed, as most boys our age would when she was no longer around for us to depend on for homework and to give us all the answers. It was stupid of us really, of course she was lonely. Why should she have to remain that way? Ron had Lavender and I had Ginny. She only had us and really it was us who betrayed her when you think about it.

If I had ever known at the time that befriending him would lead to all this mess though, I would have tried to stop her at all costs. But I was so busy with Dumbledore that year that I hardly noticed when it started happening, until I caught them.

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Absolutely no one saw it coming. I believed her when she said he just needed a friend because I never thought she would crazy enough to fall in love with him. I was blinded by my assumption that he was just pure evil like his father that I really didn't believe he could be even the slightest bit good. But even though I assumed he was evil I trusted that she knew what she was doing. I trusted that if she thought he wasn't that bad behind closed doors when no one was watching then it must be true.

She was the happiest I'd ever seen her after Christmas. She told me, at the time, that it was for no particular reason but deep down I think I knew. That her heart had been claimed by the very last person any of us would have ever chosen for her. Back then I would have picked Cormac McLaggen over him. Hell I would have picked Blaise over him.

When he betrayed her she broke, I was so damn angry. On top of watching Snape kill Dumbledore, of knowing Draco's part in it all. When I chased after them I wanted to kill Draco just as much as I wanted to kill Snape. I went to find her after. She was so devastated that I could barely make out what she was trying to say through her tears when I finally found her. It was then that I truly knew the nature of what had happened between them all year.

To see her like that was extremely hard. To know that there was nothing I could do to help her, except be there for her for support, killed me inside. I told her that Draco didn't kill Dumbledore, that it was Snape, hoping it would give her some sort of comfort. I told her he lowered his wand and couldn't do it, but I couldn't leave out that he had also taken the Dark Mark when she looked at me with hopeful eyes that perhaps he had decided to join our side. I had to watch her break all over again.

We went on to find the rest of the Horcruxes not long afterwards and she just got worse. Ron and I didn't know what to do. She was physically sick, couldn't keep her food down, needed to rest more than normal when I know she would usually be pushing us to go further.

When the Snatchers caught us and we found out where they were taking us I felt a small amount of hope. I thought that maybe…just maybe he felt the same for her and would help us out of the horrible situation that we were about to be thrown in to. She looked positively terrified and clutched my hand so tight that I thought she might break it.

Draco didn't identify us which gave us more time to find a way out. That, and Hermione's brilliant idea to curse my face right before we got snatched, and Bellatrix. When they threw us in the dungeons below and kept Hermione upstairs I really thought that Draco would save her. That if he was everything she said he was there was no way he would let anyone do any serious harm to her. He was more conflicted than she realized. He didn't stop his Aunt, and Hermione's screams were enough to make me throw up.

I remember later on after the war was over Ron mentioning something about hearing her cast a protective spell before they took us away, but he couldn't really be sure of what exactly he had heard since he didn't recognize what she had cast.

After Dobby saved us from the Manor everything went fairly quick after that. Before you knew it the war was over, we had won, and everything was ok again. It was time to start rebuilding.

But then a week later my whole world was thrown into chaos again. Hermione had disappeared. No goodbye or reason as to why she was leaving. She literally took everything she owned and just left. Everyone thought that maybe she had been kidnapped by left over Death Eaters that had never been caught, then it was discovered that Blaise had also up and disappeared. So started the rumors of their torrid love affair and how they had eloped together and run off. We couldn't go anywhere without being hounded with questions about it. I searched and searched for her. But if there was one thing I knew about Hermione it was that if she didn't want to be found then we weren't going to find her.

The Malfoy's had their trial and Draco and his Mother were let off the hook while his father went to Azkaban. Not long after, Draco appeared at the Burrow seeking me out looking for her. He heard Blaise had also disappeared, he hired private investigators and spent a small fortune on trying to find them.

At first I didn't want to help him. I didn't understand what he was playing at. If he had really loved her he would have switched sides for her and fought with us. But in the end during the final battle at Hogwarts he did I suppose, even if I was the only one who knew it. I didn't trust him at first but over time I learned that he really wasn't as bad as I had always thought. He really did just need some guidance. You can't change the way you were raised overnight, it takes time, and it did indeed take time for him to drop a lot of his prejudice.

Ron refuses to be friends with him, but he's around enough that even Ron's children call him Uncle Draco. It drives Ron absolutely bonkers. Deep down I really don't think Ron hates him anymore, just doesn't understand him. One day though I think he will come around. Even if it takes another four years.

I know he was listening in on our conversation when Draco came to see me that night at the Burrow. It wasn't how I had wanted him to find out. But surprisingly he brooded over it for a while before blowing up on Draco, then myself for keeping it from him. I tried explaining that it just wasn't my place to tell him it was Hermione's, but I guess with her gone he was going to find out eventually why Draco had the "sudden interest".

Sometimes Narcissa will come over with Draco to the Burrow for tea. It took Molly a long time to get used to it, it took both Mothers awhile, but they soon became what I suppose you could call friends. Arthur was the best mediator anyone could possibly be and Narcissa really didn't feel the same way about most things as Lucius did, as we all found out. Oddly enough Ron has taken a liking to Narcissa even if he won't accept Draco yet. His kids call her Cissy, Molly absolutely refused to let them call her Grandma or anything close to it.

Draco is supposed to be returning from another trip trying to find Blaise and Hermione. He had a few leads in the beginning where people had claimed they saw Blaise in Italy but every time Draco went he could never find him. It amazes me that he's still searching for them four years later. It makes it sounds like I've given up on her but I haven't. I just know that when she feels it's right to come home she will. I honestly am not even sure her and Blaise are together, perhaps just a coincidence that they both up and left. Draco flew into a fit of rage whenever someone suggested that perhaps they were romantically involved. No one knew except a small group of us about what had happened between Draco and her that last year at school. No one else would have believed it anyways without her there to tell the tale herself.

Ginny surprisingly didn't seem shocked when I told her. I was kind of forced to tell her after one of Draco's fits. Her and Lavender were completely confused as to why he was acting the way he was, as if it wasn't confusing enough already for those that didn't know, why he was spending so much time and money trying to find her and why he was spending so much time with us. Everyone knew we all weren't the best of friends with him so it definitely looked strange.

Draco had gone on about how none of us cared, that we had given up on her, that he was the only one who really cared about her. I tried explaining to him that life had to go on, we got married and started families, but that he better never make the mistake of thinking that we didn't care. We searched and continue to do so right along with him. Ron just yelled at him and told him if he really cared about her he would never have had a part in the attack on the school that started it all. We didn't see Draco for a while after that but eventually he came back around.

About a year ago he owled me at the Burrow saying that he had really found them this time. Got Ron and I all excited and we all traveled to Italy to find them. Ron kept saying there was only so much Italy to explore and all the leads kept bringing us here so they had to be here somewhere. But it ended up being a terrible terrible con by someone who was trying to take Draco for his money. He's lucky Draco didn't kill him.

Ginny calls out softly behind me and let's me know that Draco has arrived at the house. We had my parents house rebuilt and slowly we are trying to rebuild Godric's Hollow to its former glory. It's actually kind of nice that it's not too crowded. Some peace and quiet is always much appreciated.

As I walk into the house I instantly am alarmed by the sounds of Ginny's soft cries. I rush into the kitchen where she's sitting with Draco at the table, a photograph in her hand. The blood in my veins runs cold. I slowly walk to the table and reach for the photograph. Ginny holds it up to me and the breath catches in my throat. Not Hermione…but definitely Blaise.

"I found them." Says Draco, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.

"Them? So Hermione is with him?" I ask.

"Blaise…Hermione…and my sources tell me…a child." Draco's voice cracks.

Merlin's Beard.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Wow! There have been more reviews for this last chapter than the story has received for any other chapter! I am so grateful for all of the love and support! I also wanted to clear up just a few things that were brought up either in PM's or reviews.

First off I'm sorry for those of who you are confused as to why I'm all of a sudden doing chapters from one persons point of view. This was always how I imagined the story to end. With a wrap up of what is happening through the eyes of our beloved characters.

These chapters were amongst the first ones I wrote which is why it's not taking me long to update them. I'm sorry to those of you who feel like I am rushing, I assure you I am not. All I have to do is go back through and change what I don't like or add what I want to instead of writing an entirely new chapter.

Last I wanted to point out that in an earlier chapter I had the intention of adding into my notes in the beginning that the war was not going to take as long as it actually did. I'm pretty sure the war actually lasted over a year from the time Draco let the Death Eaters in till the actual end. In this story it only lasted a few months and went fairly quick. I'm sorry to **Chantal9** who I PM'd to point that out then when I went back realized it was in fact not in my notes.

Thank you to **CassieReneB** , **GryffLion13** , **MiDniGhtW0IF15** , **chlsy2392** , **MCannon5887** , **.7** , **ErikaNeubert** and **xXkatlagXx** for following the story. Thanks to **.7** ,for adding the story to your favorites. Great big thank you's to all the **guests** , **Bratalia** , **Lila** , **uicchi** , **Grovek26** , **srkw89** , **Jules-Millicent** , **Chantal9** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , **ErikaNeubert** , and **Frogster** for reviewing the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

I always knew from a young age that I would be sorted in the Slytherin House when I finally went to Hogwarts. I was friends with Draco from the start, barely two when we were thrown into play dates with other kids from Pureblooded families. Draco and I always knew we would be friends until death, we understood each other. From a young age Draco would hide out at my house when his father was in a bad mood. Sometimes Lucius would try and beat lessons into him and Draco always swore he would never be like his father.

As we got older Draco became more and more like Lucius, eventually growing to respect him and wanting to be just like him. But all of that was dashed quickly when the Dark Lord came back into power and his father returned to being his faithful servant like he was before the Dark Lord was defeated the first time.

We grew up hearing stories of 'the boy who lived' and being told that if we could befriend him at Hogwarts and bring him into our inner circle then the rest of our lives would be golden. But life had different plans. He rejected Draco from that very first day when Draco extended his hand and offered him friendship. Draco was furious when it ended up being Ron and Hermione whose lives got to be golden. Funnily enough they were dubbed 'The Golden Trio' from that very first year.

Draco already hated Ron because that's the way Lucius raised him to be. My Mother never really taught me to hate anyone. She wasn't a fan of Muggleborns like most of her Pureblood friends but she never taught me to hate them. They were beneath us, yes, but we didn't need to hate them for their 'unfortunate heritage'.

Hermione Granger though, well I'll admit I had a hard time not hating her at first but it was all because of Draco. He couldn't stand that she was a Muggleborn yet she excelled in everything. Her grades were always better than his, she had the answer for absolutely everything, and she was the reason Harry and Ron made it through every mess they ever got themselves into. It was like an addiction for Draco, to hate her. Sometimes he hated her more than he hated Harry. As we grew older though, I got the feeling that deep down he didn't really _hate_ her.

Life got harder as we got older and eventually he had other things to worry about. He couldn't be bothered with something as trivial as hating her because she bested him in school. The less he hated her the more I was able to see how utterly brilliant she really was. I started paying more attention to her in classes and realized that if circumstances were different she was someone that I could see myself becoming very good friends with.

Then all of a sudden in our last year at Hogwarts, circumstances did change. Draco was so preoccupied with things, and I knew something was going on I just didn't know what. I made the decision that in my sixth year in school I was going to put all my differences aside and mingle with whoever I wanted whenever I wanted and I didn't care what any of my fellow Slytherins thought about it, Draco included.

It just happened to be fate that she ran into me that day on the train, and it was all downhill from there. I slowly befriended her, letting her see in her own time that I wasn't as bad as everyone made me out to be. I enjoyed her company and while I did find her extremely attractive, I could see how much it bothered Draco that I was spending so much time with her. I think I knew long before he did just how he felt about her. His hatred for her had bordered on obsession at one point and I think it was at that point that I realized he didn't really hate her at all.

I'll admit when it first started between them, I looked out for her. I watched more intently, listened more carefully. Waiting at every turn for Draco to drop the ball and hurt her. I hate to admit it but I knew from the start that he would eventually. I knew that when the time come he would have to choose between his family and her, and he would never _not_ choose his Mother.

But for a little while at least, they were insanely happy together. I had never seen him so happy. I almost wondered if for a time he would figure out a way to choose them both. But alas the time came, and he chose his Mother, leaving Hermione utterly broken.

I think Harry knew, in part, why she was so upset. But he was blinded by his anger towards Draco and Professor Snape that he didn't really put two and two together until much later. Ron stayed oblivious as he always was. I helped her the best I could in the small amount of time there was until they went off on their journey to find the Horcruxes. I didn't know why they were leaving at the time but Hermione has since told me all about every adventure that they ever had.

She owled me when she could when they were gone. She told me of her sickness, that she was always tired and never able to keep food down. Being as smart as she was it didn't take her long to realize why she was so sick. I wanted to tell Draco right away but he had been holed up at the manor since the attack on the school. I wanted to be upset with him but how could I be? We knew our whole lives that this would eventually happen the Dark Lord's return. I just never expected for Hermione to ever be a part of it. At least I didn't expect her to be involved with us in any way.

I wanted her to come back but she wouldn't abandon Harry and Ron. When they were Snatched and taken to the manor I expected Draco to save her somehow. I think a small part of her was hoping he would as well. It was an absolute miracle she didn't lose the baby between being on the run and Bellatrix torturing her. She later revealed that she had cast a protective charm over herself quickly when they took the boys, leaving her upstairs with that crazy woman. It must have been one hell of a charm, but I wouldn't expect any less from her.

By the end of the war she was around four months pregnant and just starting to show. She hid it well with bigger jeans and sweaters. I had stayed through it all even though I didn't actually fight in the war. My Mother had gone off to Italy and I stayed to make sure Draco and Hermione made it to the other side. I thought that if they both got through it that somehow they could reconcile and everything would be alright in the world.

How wrong I was. She came to me one night just a few days after the conclusion of the war. She asked me to take her away and I drank myself silly that night wondering how the hell I had gotten into all this mess. How was it that I, Blaise Zabini, was about to take Hermione Granger across the world to have her baby? How was it me that she was trusting with this and not one of her best friends Harry or Ron? How was it that I was helping her to escape _my_ best friend who was still insanely in love with her?

She had wanted to be gone by the time his trial was over. She had a feeling they would let him go and she didn't want to be there when that happened. She hadn't told Harry or Ron, or even Ron's sister Ginny about the baby but here I was, in the middle of it all, taking care of her.

Part of me feels like the ultimate worst best friend in the world. I should have been there when Draco was released. I should have at least gone back and checked on him. I guess you could say I was a coward and didn't want to face his wrath. But deep down I also know that when it's time to go back he will forgive me. He will forgive me because he will forgive her. It may take time but he will learn of why we left and he will forgive her.

I understand her reasonings for wanting to leave. I really do. We have taken the utmost precaution while we have been away. Using glamour charms wherever we go. We finally settled down in a small town in Italy called Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. We went to visit the Duomo, a very old cathedral that Hermione absolutely had to see, and we just never left. We purchased a villa, hired a midwife who was a witch, and paid her handsomely to keep quit about the birth of the child. Not wanting to raise any suspicion, even though we looked nothing like ourselves.

The child though, Hermione didn't want to glamour the child, and it was the spitting image of Draco. If we had gone back there would have been absolutely no doubt of whose kid it was. So we stayed and started to raise it on the Coast. I was Uncle Blaise right from the beginning and when asked why Hermione and I changed our appearances whenever we left we told the child it was simply a game we always played.

The child was mischievous just like Draco. In fact the child was a great combination of them both since Hermione really was quite mischievous in her youth as well when she ran around with Harry and Ron. It was that same mischief however, that led to the events of today, that will inevitably lead to our return.

Some days I'll take the kid out with me when I go into the marketplace. Every now and then an investigator rolls through looking for us, one that I know Draco hired. There have been time's when I've almost let the glamour slip away in hopes that I could force our return home sooner, but at the last moment I know that I can't betray Hermione like that, even though I'm betraying Draco. I'm usually very careful about keeping the charm's in place and keeping the kid away from the eyes of the investigators.

Today however, I fucked up. I fucked up because the damn kid got the better of me and told me I was hiding from someone and that I was a coward and that using the glamour wasn't a game that we played. Did I mention the kid got Hermione's smarts? It annoyed me, much like Draco did when we were younger, always challenging me. Of course me being me I always felt like I had to prove myself. Why I felt like I needed to prove myself to Hermione's four year old is beyond me now.

So I dropped my glamour to prove to the kid that it was ok to be us in public and that it really was just a game. The kid seemed doubtful but satisfied and ran off to play. Shaking my head I went to put the glamour back in place and as I looked up in my last moment of my true self I saw him. Camera pointed in my direction, smirk on his face, was the newest investigator who had been here a few times over the last year. I thought he had given up, I really had.

I had to tell her. I told her it was only a matter of time before Draco would come to find us. I think perhaps she's finally ready. So we aren't leaving. We aren't going back yet, but we aren't running. It's finally time to face the music.

Although I feel like it's going to be a lot more like loud angry noise rather than music.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Please keep the reviews coming with your thoughts!


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter out! I was trying so hard the last two days but I couldn't get the idea for 'Selfish' out of my head so I wrote that one-shot real quick and put it out so I could finally concentrate on this chapter. **Go read Selfish when you're done and let me know what you guys think!**

Thank you to **DreamerAly** , **Anzera Fitzroy** , **Toujours-Pur-XXX** , **ThirdStarOnTheLeft** , **SSJ2TeenGohan** , **noir-v69** , **Expanding** **Horizons** , **kcw41** , and **Emerald1999** for following the story. Thank you to **srkw89** , **Grovek26** , **Jules-Millicent** , **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** , **Frogster** , **Chantal9** , **kcw41** , and **Expanding Horizons** for reviewing the story. And thank you to **noir-** **v69** , **kcw41** , and **Milli1234** for adding the story to your favorites.

Thank you to **Emerald1999** for favoriting me as an author it means the world to me.

Also the site was experiencing some issues with reviews. I wasn't getting notifications for a while there and I wasn't able to respond to any of the reviews from the last chapter until last night so I apologize if I missed anyone in the shout outs I appreciate you all so very much!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

I remember the very first time I ever laid eyes on Draco Malfoy. I was just a girl, new to the world of magic, so excited to make friends with other people like myself. I ran into him, literally, on the Hogwarts train when I was trying to help Neville find his toad Trevor. He turned around and gave me the ugliest smirk I had ever seen on anyone and told me to watch where I was going before he walked off with his friends. I decided right then and there he was someone that I would never get along with.

Harry and Ron didn't like him at all, I soon found out after they had accepted me as their friend. Because they didn't like him, it made it easier for me to dislike him. He was smug and rude and thought he was so much better than everyone else. When I smacked him in third year it was the best feeling in the world, knocking him down a peg. He kept his rude comments about me to himself after that.

I literally paid him no attention again until our fifth year when we were dodging him, Crabbe and Goyle when they were helping Umbridge trying to disband Dumbledore's Army. He really could have caught us multiple times, I really didn't think his heart was in it.

Then came our sixth year and Blaise and I became friends. If anyone would have told me before then that after Hogwarts I would have been living in Italy and raising my child with 'Uncle Blaise' I would have hexed them into the next year. But Blaise and I did become friends, and that's when it all started. That's when Draco Malfoy eventually became my dirty little secret.

I think at first Draco was genuinely upset that Blaise and I started hanging out more and more, but I think he was more upset that Blaise didn't find me utterly repulsive like they were taught to find me. Blaise thinks that Draco stopped finding me repulsive long before sixth year but I don't believe him. I still am not quite sure _when_ Draco started to see me in a different light, but I remember the first time I believed that there was actually someone good buried deep down inside of him. The night he somewhat comforted me after I had watched Lavender throw herself at Ron when he won the Quidditch match for us. That marked the start of the biggest adventure of my life. Even bigger than the war against Voldemort, because this adventure would live on in the form of our child, and even longer still when our child has children of their own.

Love certainly isn't like all the fairy tales you read about growing up. It takes time and it's sloppy and it hurts. It never shows up when you want it to and always finds you when you least expect it, even when you push the hardest you can against it. Our love wasn't a romantic fairytale in the least, but a whirlwind of emotions that neither of us really knew how to handle. Although I have to give myself credit. A sane witch wouldn't have been able to put up with Draco and his mood swings. Just thinking about them however, puts a smile on my face.

I kept Draco a secret from my friends because…well because it was Draco. I didn't want Harry and Ron finding out not only because of how they felt about Draco, but also because I wasn't completely sure what was going to happen between Draco and myself; until I had a better idea I didn't want to upset my best friends. But then Harry had his suspicions and I had to give him a satisfying answer. It wasn't like I lied to him when I told him there was good in Draco and he just needed some guidance, I just didn't tell him that I was also snogging him senseless in empty classrooms after hours.

When Harry did finally find out the truth it was when he had no time to be upset with me because we had worse things to worry about. Draco had betrayed us, betrayed me, and Dumbledore had been killed. Harry told me afterwards that it hadn't been Draco who had done it, that he had lowered his wand. It still didn't change the fact that while Draco had been bedding me, in the same room he had been working on that blasted cabinet no less, he had known the entire time that he was going to let the Death Eaters into the castle. I had felt so let down. I literally thought I was going to die of a broken heart.

Part of me wonders if I had just run away with him when he asked me in the Astronomy Tower, if things would have turned out differently. But then again as much as I love the boys I don't think they would have gotten very far without me. The war could have had a very different outcome. We left to hunt for the last of the Horcruxes as soon as we could, I was able to say a very quick goodbye to Blaise, then we were gone. Little did I know that I was carrying Draco's child at the time.

It didn't take me long to figure out what was happening to me while we were on the road. I couldn't keep food down, I was tired all the time, I was extremely irritable with the boys. Imagine my shock when I found out why. I realized that I must have forgotten the contraceptive charm one of the nights Draco and I had spent in the Room of Requirement. So there I was with absolutely no idea what to do and it was certainly not the right time to bring it up. Harry and Ron would have gone crazy if they had found out I was pregnant. They would have demanded to know who the Father was and if I refused to answer they would have speculated it was Blaise. What other male had I spent that much time with besides Draco? They would have never guessed it was Draco's before they guessed Blaise.

I sent an owl to Blaise as soon as I could. He was the only one I could confide in. I expressed my concerns in detail, hoping that maybe he could see some sort of plan that I was too stressed to see at the time. I couldn't raise a child by myself and if the Malfoy characteristics shone brightly over my own everyone would know right away who the Father was. What was to become of the child of a known Death Eater? Even if it's Mother was a war hero? Granted I survived the war.

I stressed for days about it and finally, when I started calm down a little bit, we were Snatched. I knew they were going to take us to someone who would give them money, perhaps take us to Umbridge at the Ministry, I hadn't realized that they were going to take us to Malfoy Manor. At that point my stress level went through the roof.

Seeing him for the first time since that night in the Astronomy Tower was Hell for me. I wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face and kiss him at the same time. Tell him we were going to have a child and it was all going to be ok. Tell him that if he ever expected to see his child he would find us a way out of his wretched home. But of course I could do none of those things. I found myself worried over the way he was looking instead.

He looked pale and sick and frightened. He was helpless as his Aunt took me away from the boys and tortured me. He had looked away from me laying on the ground screaming out for her to stop. It was a miracle I didn't lose the baby then, but I had cast a protective charm just before, having a feeling whatever she was going to do wasn't going to be gentle.

It just so happened that there was a book in my bag that had a small section on contraceptive charms and other charms to help with pregnancy. Charms to protect the baby and yourself in undesirable situations. I had been reading about them since I had found out, thank Merlin for that. I wonder if she would have kept up her torture if I had screamed out that I was carrying Draco's child. She probably wouldn't have believed me and would have killed me for even making such a suggestion. I wonder if he would have tried to stop her?

Not long after that night we found ourselves victors of the war. My stomach had started to grow and I was hiding it with baggy clothes. Our faces were being constantly splashed across the front page of the paper and I was growing increasingly scared of what was going to happen when people found out. When Draco found out.

The Malfoy's trial was going to be held quickly and I just had a feeling that they were going to let Draco and his Mother off the hook. Lucius would be going away for good, but Draco and his Mother had been forced into their lives. The Wizengamot wouldn't make them go to Azkaban. It scared the Hell out of me. I didn't _want_ Draco to be taken away and put in prison, but I wasn't ready to face him either. I was hurt and I didn't know if I could trust him. What if the Draco that sent all that time with me didn't exist anymore? What if he never really existed? What if he tried to take away the child?

So I went to Blaise and I begged him to take me away. I felt like he was the only one I could trust. Draco was his best friend, and he was a dear friend of mine why wouldn't he want to help me and my child? I didn't realize then the weight of what I was asking him to do. I feel awful now thinking about how he must feel. Sometimes we start to talk about it but he quickly changes the subject. I'm sure he feels he let Draco down.

If I had thought there any right time to tell Harry and Ron, or even Ginny, I would have. But I would have had to be truthful about everything. The Weasley's hated the Malfoy's, they weren't going to accept that I was having a child by Draco. Most of the Wizarding community of London hated the Malfoy's, they weren't going to accept that a member of the Golden Trio, a war hero was having the child of a Death Eater. I would be shunned and so would my child. What if someone who held a grudge against Draco or his family tried to kill our baby?

Every small and unique possibility had frightened me and I lost all reason to rationalize anything. Becoming a Mother will do that to even the smartest and most rational minded woman. So after some very loud convincing, Blaise and I set off to find a safe place where I could raise my baby.

So here we are, four years later, living in Italy. I feel bad for keeping Blaise away from London all this time, but he could have gone back if he really had wanted to. We had kept an eye on what was going on all this time. We knew of the rumors of our affair, we knew Draco had indeed been released and had gone to Harry for help, we knew that they were still searching for us after all this time. Blaise keeps telling me we should just go back, sometimes I agree that maybe it is time. Then I look at my beautiful child and all the fears of a Mother come racing to surface.

Four years wouldn't have changed anything. On top of our disappearance, showing up now I feel would just make things worse. Showing up with a four year old child that looks exactly like Draco would be disastrous. A baby wouldn't know any better but a four year old would be scarred for life. I thought I knew Draco before, but apparently I didn't know him well enough to realize that he was plotting something as evil as he was. Therefore I didn't trust my inner self telling me he would never do anything to harm us. His ongoing search for us was enough proof that he was upset enough with Blaise and I, what would happen should he think my little one was Blaise's as well? _Would_ he try and harm us? For the first time in my life I didn't have the answers to any of my questions. It was frustrating not knowing our future.

Then Blaise had to go and give us up. We had been so careful up until this point, using glamour charms to hide our true selves. No one would automatically pin point that my kid looked like Draco here in Italy. Blaise was always so careful when the investigators were around to make sure they never got close enough to discover my little one. But everything blew up in our faces in one day. Not only is Blaise sure the investigator snapped a photo of him before he put his glamour back in place, but he thinks he possibly saw that Blaise wasn't alone in the park.

As I watch them play together in a different park on the other side of town I contemplate what comes next. All I want is for my beautiful child to be happy and have a Mother and Father who love them. If Draco ever loved me how could he have done what he did? And if he didn't love me how could he love our child?

My instincts are telling me to run again. But my heart is telling me it's time to face Draco. I know he's going to be coming for us. I told Blaise that maybe he should go back by himself to London and let me deal with Draco on my own. He's contemplating it.

How Draco deals with all of this will depend on whether or not we return to London. If Draco can accept it, then maybe with his help we can break it to Harry and Ron. If they can accept us, then with their help maybe the rest of the Wizarding Community will as well.

So I'm ready, ready as I'll ever be to face you Draco. I just hope you're ready, ready to face the fact that you now are a Father to a child who is going to need _you_ more than anything else in this world to face what lies ahead if we go back to London.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This chapter has gone through A LOT of editing. Days of parts being erased, put back in, taken out and changed all together, then going back to the original. I think I'm struggling so much because it's nearing the end. One more chapter to go till MSR is done. Everything will be wrapped up in a stand alone story that shouldn't be more than three chapters long. Please review!


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** Well here it is. This will be the last chapter of MSR and of course after seeing all of our beloved character's point of views, we will end with Draco's. When I first wrote Count the Saints and then decided to write this, then eventually decided to write the next part, I decided that I wanted to write them all so they could be a stand alone story respectively.

Count the Saints was a one-shot that you didn't need to read MSR to follow what was happening. You can read MSR without CTS and still get the gist of what happened in the outtake chapter. Moving forward there will be a three, perhaps four chapter story that you could read by itself without the other two. I haven't figured out a name yet…and to be honest I have so many ideas circling for it, but I have other ideas for one shots or other stories and I want to be careful not to be working on too many things at once.

Sadly the last chapter only got two reviews…I was pretty surprised honestly that Blaise's chapter beat Hermione's. Especially since so many of you wanted to know why she didn't want to go back. But it is what it is and a very huge thank you to those of you who did review as always, the lovely **xXMizz Alec VolturiXx** and **Grovek26**. Thank you to **csilivili12** , **srkw89** , and **ErzaScarlet16** for favoriting the story. Thank you to **ErzaScarlet16** , **Mother Gaia** , **kleipoppetje** , **SunLover92** , **EscapedMinds** , **Damfino505A** , and **YinNoPiano** for following the story.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

All my life I was taught to hate people like her. I was always taught that her kind were beneath us, we were superior, and the magical world would be better without them in it. So when I first found out that the smartest witch of our generation was a Muggle Born I was completely infuriated. How is it that someone of her kind could best someone like me? Someone who was born out of two Pureblooded magical families.

Watching her befriend Harry Potter, after he had declined my offer of friendship, only fueled my dislike of her. She was a bothersome thorn in my side and I would have liked nothing better than to put her in her place. Only it ended up being her who put me in my place over and over again. Then she showed up to the bloody Yule Ball dressed the way she was and all of a sudden the brainy know it all bookworm was attractive….and I wasn't the only Slytherin to notice.

I had to listen to my own acquaintances talk about how pretty she had been, even some of the older boys had admitted it made them rethink how they looked at her. I remember feeling disgusted when I heard one of the older boys say something like 'it's always the quiet ones you have to look out for', not because he was talking about a Muggle Born but because he was talking suggestively about the pair of them being together. As if he ever had a chance with her.

I started looking at her in a different light after that, if I'm being honest with myself. From the moment Theodore Nott dubbed her as untouchable, she became somewhat of an object of desire amongst the Slytherin boys, not that any of them would even dare try they all just liked the idea of the challenge. She was always with Harry and Ron and it would only ever cause trouble for the Slytherin house. I put any ideas like that in the back of my mind to not be paid attention to. Even if I did see her in a different light, she was still a Muggle Born. Everything I had been taught to hate.

So I went about my life, I cut back on the teasing and simply just didn't bother with her. In fifth year it had actually been Goyle's idea to join Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. Things were rather difficult at home that year so I joined to keep up appearances but really I didn't put a lot of effort into it.

Then Blaise went and fucked everything up at the beginning of sixth year. He decided that since the war was on the horizon why not just hang out with whoever and try and shag as many hot girls as he could. Of course the very first girl he laid eyes on in another house just had to be her. When he announced his plan to befriend her I had felt queasy and for the first time ever it wasn't at the thought of a Pureblood with a Muggle Born, but simply at the thought of Blaise being the one to 'touch the untouchable' Hermione Granger. I didn't understand then, why I was feeling the things I was feeling, I'll admit even now there are times when I ask myself why I'm so torn up over this girl.

Blaise started hanging out with her all the time. I noticed Harry and Ron were busy with their own things that year and she was left alone most of the time. I imagine that's why it was so easy to become so close to Blaise, he was always there and willing to be that friendly male companion she was so used to being around. It didn't take Blaise long to realize that he would only ever have friendly feelings towards her, but by the time he **DID** realize it was too late. I had already started causing scenes and finding reasons to be around. I tried so hard but in the end I just couldn't stay away.

Blaise thought it was hilarious that I was acting like a little boy with a crush on a girl, always picking on her thinking that any attention was a good thing because at least she was paying attention to him. Back then I struggled so much with thinking everything I was feeling was so wrong, that I almost sabotaged our relationship before it had even started. The fact that she even gave me a chance after five years of what I put her and her friends through says a lot about her though, that's a Gryffindor for you.

I fell for her hard. She was the most comforting thing during that incredibly dark time in my life. Of course she had no idea of the turmoil I was going through in trying to achieve the Dark Lord's task. I would have switched sides if it hadn't been for Voldemort threatening to kill my Mother. I never really liked Dumbledore, but in the end I sure as hell didn't want Harry to be the one who died.

When I let the Death Eaters into the school I knew that whatever future I could have had with her was doomed. The war had started and I had chosen the wrong side of it. Voldemort was just as horrible to his own followers as he was to those he wanted out of our world. My father fell from being his right hand man, something my failure to kill Dumbledore took part in, and my Mother had her home taken over by that lunatic all the while he was threatening to kill us. I would have given anything to go back to that night in the Astronomy Tower when Hermione begged me to go to The Order asking for help to save my Mother. They would have helped only because she was asking them, but things just could have gone so differently. I have so many regrets.

One of the biggest regret of all was not helping her when my Aunt was torturing her. How could I have just sat there and done nothing? I couldn't have left the room without being noticed, so I averted my eyes because I couldn't watch the scene unfolding in front of me. At one point during her screaming I almost went forth to tell Bellatrix to stop but my Mother grabbed a hold of my wrist discreetly and held me back. She forced me to look into her eyes so I had somewhere else to look other than at Hermione laying on the ground in all her pain. We both shed tears for her that night.

After the war was won I searched for her at the school. In the end I chose to fight with them, though the only one who really saw that was Harry. My Mother ushered me out before I had a chance to find Hermione. We ended up being restricted to the Manor, which was the last place I wanted to spend time at that moment, until our trial. We knew father would go away for the rest of his life. We hoped we wouldn't, or at least I hoped she wouldn't. I was pleasantly surprised when they let us both go. We ended up making a very large donation to fund the rebuilding of the school.

We were asked to stay out of the public eye for a little bit which I had an extremely difficult time with. Rumors had reached me of Hermione running off with Blaise. Apparently they just up and disappeared overnight. No goodbyes, no explanations, even Harry didn't know where she had gone. I thought perhaps it was coincidence that Blaise was gone as well, perhaps he had gone to Italy to see his Mother. But when I was finally able to leave the Manor I found out that indeed they had disappeared the same night, last seen at the same time, last seen together. My blood boiled with rage. How dare he? How dare she? I know that I hurt her but I had been planning on spending the rest of my life making up for it anyway that she would let me.

I had gone straight to Harry and after some long discussions and a lot of convincing on my part he finally believed that I really did love her. I wanted to find her. I wanted him to help me. He was wary about it at first, saying they _had_ looked and sent out investigators, and she would eventually come back when she was ready. He thought that perhaps she had gone to Australia to find her parents. I went behind his back and sent an investigator there though and nothing had turned up. The Granger's were still living in Sydney, very unaware of their magical daughter.

That was all over four years ago. I've poured so much money and time into trying to find her and Blaise that Harry is beginning to think I'm crazy. Mother is concerned about me, and any friends that I still have left wonder why I've latched on to Harry Potter of all people to help me find the missing Hermione Granger. Why was I so keen to even look for her in the first place? But none of them could ever possibly understand. Only Harry and my Mother know the real reason, and I suspect Ron does as well. I don't think he will ever stop hating me, but he sure has taken a liking to Mother. I told his kids to start calling me Uncle Draco just to get a rise out of him.

With all of us working at the Ministry I have to admit that they have become somewhat of a second family to me. I can't believe I'm even saying that. I never thought in this life, or any other, that I would be saying I considered Potter and the Weasley's like family. Harry had asked me to lay off all the investigating for a while. It was hard for him to keep up with his growing family. I understood and I backed off of him, but I did keep hiring investigators to send around the world. After all of this time imagine my disbelief when one of them finally came through.

I can't tell you how many people I sent to search every part of Italy looking for them. Some I sent for them both. Others I sent just for her or for Blaise. I had people watching Blaise's Mother at all times. Then low and behold one day an envelope ended up on my desk, a lone picture and a few lines describing what he saw were all the man had put in it.

The picture was absolutely without a doubt Blaise. The briefing made me sick to my stomach however. Blaise was using glamour charms, which would explain why it had been so difficult to find them. He also had reason to believe that Blaise had been in the park with a child, although that wasn't a detail the investigator could commit to. He wanted to know if I wanted him to stay to try and get more details but I declined. This time it was going to be me that was going to go find them.

I wasn't planning on returning to London until they had been found. I was tired of their games. If they had indeed ran off together and had a child then they were damn well going to own up to it. I would drag them back here in shackles if I had to. I never thought even for a second that either of them would betray me like that, but I guess pain makes you do crazy things. I would know since I spent four years of painful searching, painful leads and painful dead ends. Oh yes I knew all about pain. Not only did she put me through four years of it, but she put the Weasley's and Harry through it as well.

Yes, she would be coming home, and she will be facing everyone. Everyone already thought they ran off together as lovers imagine what everyone will say once they find out they had a child? It would be better received I suppose than her having a child with me, a known Death Eater. Even if I have done everything in my power to restore my family name there are still people who hate me for what I did during the war, for what my father did. Still people who want to hurt me. At least Blaise never took part in the war, no one would want to hurt his child. But the Slytherin in me wants them both to hurt. I want her to hurt the way she's hurt me.

It's been a few months since the photo was sent to me, I've taken all of this time to prepare to leave. I've told Harry I'll be gone as long as it takes. He's asked me not to do anything drastic and Ron told me I better not hurt her in any way. I feel like everything I've worked so hard for these past four years is going to come crumbling down around me. All the rage and hatred I once felt for her has come bubbling to the surface again. Mother tells me I'm acting like a spoiled brat, she pointed out that I hurt Hermione first and far worse than what she's ever done to me. I contemplated it for a little while and in the end realized I didn't care. My best friend in the entire world ran off with the only girl that I have ever loved and quite possibly had a child with her. No I didn't care if I was acting like a spoiled brat. They both better be prepared, and if they try and run I _will_ find them again.

I will _always_ find you Hermione. No matter how long I have to wait, because pain makes people do crazy things.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Whew! Done and done! Already working on the first chapter for the new story! Please review! Stay tuned and please go read **Selfish** if you haven't already and review that as well! I'm excited to start posting some new one shots with different ideas I've been working on! As always I am eternally grateful for all of the support I have received on this story. I promise it won't be long until the new story is out.


	18. Please Read

I am beyond amazed and grateful for all of the reviews, follows and favorites I have received for this story. Some of you weren't sure if I was going to do a continuation. I am, it's called Taking Chances and I just uploaded the first chapter. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying writing it. Please review, for it is the reviews that keep a writer going.

Cinnamon


End file.
